Secularism, loyalty vital, says court head
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 30, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - The top court’s president, one of the actors of last week’s heated debate over an ambiguity in the upcoming local elections, stressed the importance of secularism and loyalty to the Constitution in a speech during an oath-taking ceremony yesterday at the Constitutional Court.
Turkey’s highest courts and political figures were engaged in a dispute last week over a decision concerning several municipalities’ participation in local elections, but came together yesterday at the Constitutional Court for an oath-taking ceremony for a new substitute member of the court. The court and the Council of State tangled over whether several hundred tiny municipalities could enter local elections in March and politicians from the ruling party joined the discussion.Â
The top court’s president, Haşim Kılıç, gave a message on secularism in his speech at the ceremony attended by other judiciary members including Council of State President Mustafa Birden, President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and avoided raising tensions even higher."The Constitutional Court members should act in line with the binding principle of the Constitution when they execute their duties. The court is the utmost guarantee of the Turkish Republic, a contemporary, secular and social state of law founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as it has been in the past," Kılıç said.
Meanwhile, responding to the press as to why some court members rose and others didn’t when the new member was taking the oath, Kılıç said, "There was some confusion. Normally we all stand when someone is sworn in, but today confusion occurred in its implementation in the Supreme Court." Kılıç said all members had to rise when the new member took the oath.
The top court’s president, Haşim Kılıç, gave a message on secularism in his speech at the ceremony attended by other judiciary members including Council of State President Mustafa Birden, President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and avoided raising tensions even higher."The Constitutional Court members should act in line with the binding principle of the Constitution when they execute their duties. The court is the utmost guarantee of the Turkish Republic, a contemporary, secular and social state of law founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as it has been in the past," Kılıç said.
Meanwhile, responding to the press as to why some court members rose and others didn’t when the new member was taking the oath, Kılıç said, "There was some confusion. Normally we all stand when someone is sworn in, but today confusion occurred in its implementation in the Supreme Court." Kılıç said all members had to rise when the new member took the oath.