Turkish daily BirGün exposes yet another major judicial corruption
Instances of corruption and malfeasance within Turkey’s judiciary have surfaced once again, bringing to light a tangled web of scandal and illicit dealings involving 53 judges and public prosecutors. They are such a common occurrence now that it feels like judges and prosecutors spend the bulk of their time being involved in some sort of corruption rather than delivering justice. As long as they do not step on the toes of some mighty politician, they seem to have a licence to do as they please.
Background of the Scandal
In a shocking revelation, a disgraced expert witness who is on trial for fraud and bribery admitted that the very court that tries him released him from pretrial detention in return for 80,000 TRY bribe.
M.D. was assigned as an expert witness in a legal dispute between two ex-business partners even though he was banned from ever acting so. M.D. however did not lose time to solicit a bribe from one (Mr O) of the parties in return for writing a report in his favor. Mr O reported the matter to the police and the expert witness was caught red-handed while taking marked bills from Mr O and he was remanded to pretrial detention.
The release of M.D. and his prosecution
M.D. charged with fraud and bribe was arranged to be tried before the Bakırköy 18th Heavy Penal Court and was released by this court just after 52 days he was remanded.
After some time, obviously upset by being made a scapegoat M.D. sent a shocking letter to the Bakırköy 18th Heavy Penal Court in which he stated:
“I spent 52 days in prison. After bribing the bench of the Bakırköy 18th Heavy Penal Court for YTL 80,000, I was finally released on bail. Previously, my bail requests on health grounds were all rejected. That is to say, those who have extorted money from me for my release are now trying me for handing out bribes.”
M.D. did not stop there and went further and produced to the Court a list titled “The Judges and Prosecutors in Bakirkot Who Take Bribes”. The list included identities of some 53 judges and prosecutors who were involved in bribery according to M.D’s own experience with them.
A Turkish daily BirGün published the list
The list implicates a substantial number of judges and prosecutors who work in the Bakırköy Courthouse. It also includes others from the Büyükçekmece and Anadolu Courthouses, as well as the Istanbul Regional Appeal Court of Justice.
Lack of Accountability
Facing with M.D.’s shocking accusation the panel of three judges of the Court recused from the case. However, despite the gravity of these allegations, no substantial investigation has been initiated. The inaction following these accusations has raised questions about the judiciary’s willingness to address its internal issues.
Relevant: The Turkish judiciary has been rocked by bribery and other corruption scandals.
In recent months, a series of revelations have come to public attention regarding corruption within the Turkish judiciary. These include the Chief Public Prosecutor of Ankara being bribed by a mobster, the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor of Izmir extorting businesspeople under the threat of arrest, embezzling money from companies under his trusteeship, and most recently, mutual accusations of bribery, extortion, and abuse of office between the Chief Justice (Bekir Altun) and Chief Prosecutor (İsmail Uçar) of Istanbul, senior judge attending a birthday party of a fugitive who is on trial for murder, senior judge and prosecutor defrauding more than 250 individuals with the promise of recruiting them as an intelligence officer and so on.
The root of the problem: corruption and human rights abuses
The government’s efforts to cover up the corruption scandal of 2013 marked a turning point in this regard, leading to a widespread purge of the judiciary members and law enforcement agencies. This purge was driven by the realisation that the government’s objectives required the complicity of corrupt judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers. These officials were often enticed into corruption through various means, including salary increases, opportunities to purchase apartments at prices well below market value, and the practice of cronyism.
According to the United Nations report, there is a profound interplay between corruption and human rights abuses. Corruption not only instigates human rights violations but also significantly impedes the fulfilment of human rights obligations. From 2014, and more noticeably following the coup attempt in 2016, both corruption and serious human rights violations became increasingly routine, evolving into what can be described as an epidemic. This period saw a blurring of ethical lines and an erosion of legal and moral standards within the judicial system.
High-ranking officials, including Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor, who was appointed by President Erdogan, have acknowledged that judges and prosecutors, particularly those involved in the crackdown against opposition groups like the Gulen Movement, began to perceive themselves as creditors of the state.
This dangerous mindset justified their involvement in various illicit activities, seeing these actions as entitlements or rewards for their service in the government’s repressive campaigns. Such developments highlight a deeply troubling transformation within Turkey’s judicial system, where the pursuit of justice has been overshadowed by personal gain and political agendas.
Categories: Turkey Human Rights Blog