By Ben Kerrigan
Over 1,000 Private schools have been shut down by the Turkish government,in a move that seems to ignore the rule of law.
The Turkish rule of law requires the implementation of the due process in everything to do with the law. In the law making the field, a basic requirement for the law to be recognised as the valid reason for the law to be passed through Parliament.
Over 1,000 Private schools and Universities have been shut down by the Turkish government in a further crackdown against the alleged gang of professionals and politicians who joined forces to try and execute last week’s failed coup. 1,229 Charities and foundations have also been closed down. 15 Universities and 35 medical institutions have also been closed down , it has been confirmed by sources close to the government. No specific evidence has yet been presented to justify the scale and method of the process used to determine those who deserve to be arrested or those Universities that deserve to be closed. It looks a worrying day for the rule of law in Turkey.
The dramatic move by the government to extend the number of organisations shut down in the wake of the turmoil that befell the country during the brief spell of attack from the opposition., is raising alarm bells everywhere. We know the Turkish Parliament was bombed, civilians were killed, and media stations were overtaken by the militant rebels. The climate is still tense, and Erdogan is coming strong on everyone he thinks has any associations with U.S based Muslim Cleric, Fethullah Gulen, a fierce rival of Erdogan, who was once an ally. However, he is coming too strong.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
Erdogan’s regime has launched a wide assault on organisations on a mass scale, targeting all supporters of the Muslim cleric, among whom are the military, police, judges, municipal officials and other branches of the government. Erdogan has instilled a law that now means people can be detained for longer periods without charge, a move that will worry Human Rights Activists.
ccarlstead via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
A few days ago, Turkey announced a three-month state of emergency, in a move that gives the Turkish executive authority to pass laws without parliament’s support ,and also limits the rights and freedoms as they deem necessary. This is a blatant disregard for the rule of law. Parliament is where laws are made and given legal force, so such disregard for Parliament gives cause for alarm. Even more alarming has been the talk of the death penalty as a future plan, which he could make official at any time the way things are going.
The EU has threatened to suspend accession talks with Ankara if Erdogan ever legalises capital punishment. to lift a moratorium on capital punishment. How that affects Turkey may depend on how much Turkey wants to join the Union, or whether they think they have a realistic chance of actually joining them. The US said Turkey should provide convincing proof of Gulen’s guilt if it wanted the cleric to be extradited. That proof is still being assembled by the Turkish government, which they say will eventually prove their point. It will be good to see that proof, though it remains to be seen whether that proof will also implicate the 1,000 plus universities shut over the coup.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Featured image- By user:Danbury – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar
