'Agents of influence' law withdrawn
There were new developments regarding the draft law in the 9th Judicial Package, which the pro-government media described as a 'new type of espionage activity' and named 'influence peddling' – internationally generally categorized as so-called 'agents of influence’ law.
Yesterday, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir first met with reporters at the parliament. Emir commented on the agenda and answered journalists' questions.
Asked to comment on the content of the 9th Judicial Package, Emir said that there were some provisions in the draft that they could never accept, and that the “agents of influence” clause was one of them.
Stating that the article relating to ‘agents of influence’ was with unclear and unpredictable borders, Emir said, “It would give prosecutors a ‘blank cheque’ and create circumstances where prosecutors could open any door they wanted with it, prosecute anyone they wanted, arrest anyone they wanted and say ‘you are working against the state’. In a state of law, there cannot be such unpredictable and indeterminate penal clauses."
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AKP: It was never in the package
Following Emir, AKP Group Deputy Chairman Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu held a press conference in Parliament. Akbaşoğlu claimed that the ‘agents of influence’ law was not in the draft of the 9th Judicial Package from the beginning.
Stating that they will submit the 9th Judicial Package to the Presidency of the parliament after the Feast of Sacrifice, Akbaşoğlu said the following on the subject:
"Today, we saw some news in the press. In fact, there is a situation that does not reflect the truth and is reflected in the press in a regrettable way. I would like to state very clearly that in our work on the 9th Judicial Package, there is no regulation on 'foreign influence' – there never was. Considering that it was part of the package and then later removed and all the news reports about this in the press do not reflect the truth."
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The article was in the draft
The issue of foreign influence was first discussed on May 5. Following reports in mainstream newspapers close to the government that “the details of the 9th Judicial Package have become clear”, ANKA News Agency published the draft text of the law on May 11.
Parliamentary sources contacted by bianet also confirmed the allegations and said that the draft law on foreign influence had been withdrawn.
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(HA/DT)