MEP: Turkish democracy is in deep crisis

Dutch member of the European parliament, Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66), fears for the future of democracy in Turkey. Today, the European Parliament votes on a report about the accession negotiations with Turkey, which voices very deep concerns regarding the current crisis in the country. Schaake: "The investigations into corruption within the government and the subsequent reactions, which started at the end of last year, have triggered a chaos that will be increasingly difficult to solve. The crisis in Turkey destabilises the core of the rule of law and is only getting worse. The separation of powers, freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary are under great pressure." Collateral damage Prime Minister Erdogan is trying to neutralise the Gulen movement, after their cooperation has erupted into a power struggle. At the same time numerous AK Party officials are suspected of corruption. Due to the crisis, both the Turkish Lira and international confidence in the Turkish market have plummeted. "This race to the bottom must be stopped, and trust in the rule of law must be re-established. Europe has been aiming for this for years", says Schaake. Last week, the President signed a law bringing the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors under control of the justice ministry. A controversial law which represses digital freedoms was also adopted. The ruling party has an absolute majority in the Turkish Parliament. Freedom In its attempts to silence opponents, the authorities are further constricting freedom of expression. Schaake: "Freedom of expression was already under a great amount of pressure in Turkey, the country is the largest jailer of journalists worldwide. But since December, we have seen that it can get even worse." Earlier this year, Schaake called for an independent international investigation into the crisis in Turkey. "The different parties are so entrenched that they cannot find a way out on their own. Only independent international experts can make an analysis that may be acceptable to both sides. For the EU, but also for NATO of which Turkey is a member, it is essential that this crisis is solved comprehensively."