’Cleansing intestines’

Or, to what extent it was appropriate for Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin who over the past six years earned respect of even his political opponents with his gentlemanly attitude, quality in political conduct to describe a judicial process as Turkey emptying its intestines?

Right, many people were shocked when Şahin, the first-ever justice minister of the country who publicly apologized for the death by torture of a citizen at a police station and a detention center came up a few days later with a rather antagonistic explanation of why he approved continuation of prosecution of a father on grounds that he intimidated the Turkish state when he cried in pain "The state killed my son!" and complained of the shooting and killing of his young son who did not heed police order to stop in İzmir. He must have understood the pain of a father whose son was killed by police bullets just because he was drunk and tried to escape the traffic police. As a father he must have thought of the pain that farther was suffering when he cried "Murderer state" rather than ordering a trial against the farther under the contentious Article 301 of the Penal Code regulating punishment of insult to the nation and the state. That was the first negative mark that Şahin received as a justice minister. But, still, even that failure of Şahin could be considered a petty crime compared to what he has said about the so-called Ergenekon trial: "Turkey is defecating. Turkey will continue cleaning its intestines."

Someone must remind the justice minister of the country. Even if we are to put aside international norms of justice, under the current constitution and laws of this country no one can be considered guilty until a court sentences her or him. Being detained, accused or even indicted by a prosecutor does not and should not be taken as verification that a person indeed is guilty of a crime. As a lawyer by profession, Şahin must know this principle well better than anyone else. Rather than engaging in such degrading attitude, the minister must have focused on the gross violation of justice and existing laws of the country with the way the Ergenekon probe is being conducted. While detention is an exemption in Turkish laws the Ergenekon prosecutor is ordering detention of people and raid on their homes and offices. What’s being done is no less than "fire and then aim" joke.

Justice is needed by everyone
No government can stay in office forever. A day may come when today’s powerful people will need justice as well. It has become a routine in Turkey. No ruling party executive or local administrator can be prosecuted of corruption as long as the party stays in government. But once a political group loses elections evidences of corruption at government offices as well as municipalities which could not be investigated until that day are exposed all of a sudden.

What about the illegal villas constructed on a deforested area in Istanbul that were being issued permission well after the construction was completed? What about the special decrease in VAT rate for maze imports or the production of liquid eggs? Was it a coincidence that the son of a minister was the sole importer of maze during that period? Was it a coincidence that the son of the same minister was the sole liquid egg producer? What about the privatization deals negotiated in the middle of night behind some closed doors tough a former prime minister was prosecuted with the same charge just recently? Companies of the sons and daughters of the president, the prime minister, ministers, executives of the ruling party were all of course operating in full conformity with laws. They have no wrongdoing. Are you sure?

When that day comes the executives of that time, particularly the justice minister, hopefully will not use such an inappropriate term in describing the probe against corruption, nepotism, misuse of office and such crimes during the AKP rule.