The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal

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The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal THE LONG WINTER: TURKISH POLITICS AFTER THE CORRUPTION SCANDAL MUSTAFA GURBUZ 750 First St., NE, Suite 1125 Washington, DC 20002 [email protected] Phone: 202-842-2026 RETHINK PAPER 15 www.retthinkinstitute.org MAY 2014 THE LONG WINTER: TURKISH POLITICS AFTER THE CORRUPTION SCANDAL MUSTAFA GURBUZ RETHINK PAPER 15 May 2014 The Rethink Institute is an independent, not-for-profit, nonpartisan research institution devoted to deepen our understanding of contemporary political and cultural challenges facing communities and societies around the world, in realizing peace and justice, broadly defined. The Institute pursues this mission by facilitating research on public policies and civic initiatives centering on dispute resolution, peace building, dialogue development, and education. Toward these goals, the Institute sponsors rigorous research and analysis, supports visiting scholar programs, and organizes workshops and conferences. © Rethink Institute. All rights reserved ISBN: 978-1-938300-20-2 Printed in the USA Rethink Institute 750 First St., NE, Suite 1125 Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 842-2026 [email protected] This publication can be downloaded at no cost at www.rethinkinstitute.org CONTENTS 1 Summary 3 The Corruption Scandal 4 Reframing the Scandal: “The December 17 Coup” 6 Reassignment of Police Forces 7 Charges against AKP Leadership 8 Increasing Control over the Judiciary 9 Assault on Independent Business Elite 10 Internet Curbs to Block Reporting About Corruption 13 Unholy Alliances: Releasing Ergenekon Suspects 14 Return of the Repressed: The Gezi Soul Revives 16 Crackdown on Social Media 19 Post-Election Fury 21 Toward a Surveillance State 23 Appendix: A Timeline of Critical Events 24 About the Author The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal Summary On December 17, 2013, a major corruption investigation launched by Istanbul district prosecutors hit the news. The police raided the houses of fifty suspects who had been followed for more than a year, including the sons of three Turkish government cabinet ministers. This event and its aftermath, coupled with a tense election campaign, ushered in a new era of politics in Turkey replete with unprecedented developments. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reframed the corruption scandal as a global plot to overthrow his government, orchestrated by “external” and “internal” enemies. The government tried to stop the corruption investigation and related leaks by resorting to controversial measures that subdued the judiciary, controlled the media, expanded the powers of the intelligence agency, limited internet access, banned social media, and suppressed opposition. Despite the AKP’s comfortable win in local elections on March 30, 2014, Erdoğan maintained his confrontational style and went on to further controversial measures. This suggests that the political deterioration Turkey experienced after December 17 was not just election fever, but rather a more comprehensive transformation that will, apparently, mark Turkish politics for some time to come. 1 Mustafa Gurbuz 2 The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal The Corruption Scandal On December 17, 2013, a major corruption investigation launched by Istanbul district prosecutors hit the news. The police raided the houses of fifty suspects who had been followed for more than a year, including the sons of three Turkish government cabinet ministers. The main suspect was Reza Zarrab, a businessman of Iranian descent, who allegedly laundered $120 billion between 2009 and 2012 to help Iran evade sanctions due to its nuclear program. The son of the minister of interior was charged with illegally procuring Turkish citizenship for Iranian nationals in exchange for gigantic sums of money. Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan and Minister of EU Affairs Egemen Bağış were also accused of accepting bribes from Mr. Zarrab. Finally, twenty-six of the detainees, including Mr. Zarrab and two sons of the ministers, were arrested. Dec 23, 2013 – “3 Sons of Ministers, 3 Bribery Bombshells” 3 Mustafa Gurbuz Reframing the Scandal: “The December 17 Coup” Reminiscent of his reactions to the Gezi Park protests in the summer of 2013, Prime Minister Erdoğan claimed that the graft investigations were a global plot to overthrow the government, orchestrated by “external” and “internal” enemies. Erdoğan specifically mentioned Israel and the United States as being the masterminds behind the investigation, adding that he did not have to allow their ambassadors to remain on Turkish soil. December 23, 2013 - Pro-government newspapers accuse the United States of engineering the scandal, frame U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone as the mastermind behind the plot, and demand that he leave Turkey. 4 The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal Erdoğan asserted that the Gezi Park protests and the graft probe are directly linked. Both cases, he declared, are “coup” attempts. Erdoğan called on his supporters to join what he calls “Turkey’s new war of independence.” December 24, 2013 – “Turkey’s new war of Independence” “This is a coup!” Erdoğan specifically targeted the Gülen movement, also known as Hizmet, claiming that the movement had infiltrated the top levels of Turkey’s state structure and orchestrated this plot. He added that the government will “crush” the movement by entering “its dens.” 5 Mustafa Gurbuz December 22, 2013 – “We’ll enter your dens,” “Like the Assassins”. During his electoral campaign, Erdoğan repeatedly argued that those who are deeply uncomfortable with a strong and independent Turkey attack “the new Turkey.” The terms Erdoğan employed most in his public rallies included: “a coup d’état,” “a coalition between outside and inside enemies,” “dirty coalition,” “global masterminds,” “parallel state,” “pawns of international powers,” and “traitors.” Reassignment of Police Forces Within 24 hours of the December 17 investigation going public, 24 police chiefs were reassigned, including all the police chiefs leading the investigation on behalf of the public prosecutor. These actions were taken by Minister of Interior Muammer Güler, whose son had been charged in the investigation. On December 21, the government amended judicial police regulations, requiring police chiefs to inform their superiors about all ongoing investigations. In the following weeks, thousands of police officers of varying ranks around the country were reassigned. Those reassigned 6 The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal were largely from organized crime divisions, which are responsible for investigating, among other things, corruption, bribery, and money laundering activities. These relocations were also conducted by Güler. Charges against AKP Leadership On December 25, 2013, three ministers whose sons were implicated in the investigation abruptly resigned from office. On his way out, Minister for Environment and Urban Planning Erdoğan Bayraktar called on Prime Minister Erdoğan to resign. Mr. Bayraktar said that he was forced to resign, but whatever he had done was known and approved by the prime minister himself. December 25, 2013 – The New York Times On the same day, Idris Naim Şahin, an AKP deputy and former minister of interior (2011-13), resigned from the party. Şahin, a longtime friend and political partner of Erdoğan since the days when Erdoğan was mayor of İstanbul in the 1990s, said that his reason for departure was recent transformations of the party. “The government,” said Şahin, “is now run by a small oligarchic elite in a way that excludes broad segments of the party constituency.” 7 Mustafa Gurbuz Increasing Control over the Judiciary On December 26, 2013, Public Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş, who had been overseeing the corruption investigation, was removed from the case. Following his removal, Akkaş gave copies of a written statement to reporters outside Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul. The prosecutor claimed that he had been prevented from performing his duty in the investigation. Dec 27, 2013 – The New York Times Prime Minister Erdoğan declared that the press release was a crime. He added that The High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) had committed a crime by criticizing the government and supporting Mr. Akkaş. Earlier in the week, the council had condemned the government decree that required prosecutors to receive permission from ministers for investigations, calling it a blatant attempt to rein in the corruption investigation. The HSYK stated that the new decree “violates the Constitution, and those who govern the country are subject to the supervision of the judiciary.” Jan 12, 2014 – Pro-government newspapers continued targeting the judiciary in line with Prime Minister Erdoğan’s statement: “HSYK is run like a junta.” 8 The Long Winter: Turkish Politics After the Corruption Scandal On February 15, 2014 , the Parliament, in a 20-hour session that featured a bloody fistfight, approved a bill that tightens the government’s grip on the judiciary. The new law allows the undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice to act as chairman of the HSYK. In addition, the law empowers the minister of justice in the HSYK in a number of ways, such as authorizing him to reshape the composition of all three chambers of the board and to initiate disciplinary procedures for HSYK members. Assault on Independent Business Elite On January 23, 2014, the president of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSİAD) stated that a country will not draw foreign investment
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