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Turkey will push ahead with judicial reforms, says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkey will push ahead with judicial reforms, says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
(about 5 hours later)
Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has promised to push ahead with judicial reforms that prompted a fist fight in parliament.Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has promised to push ahead with judicial reforms that prompted a fist fight in parliament.
He also denied that he was trampling on the constitution, as the government battles a damaging corruption scandal. He also denied that he was trampling on the constitution as the government battles a damaging corruption scandal.
Rival MPs threw punches, water bottles and even an iPad as the parliament's justice commission met on Saturday to discuss a draft bill from Erdoğan's AK party that would give it more say over the appointment of judges and prosecutors.Rival MPs threw punches, water bottles and even an iPad as the parliament's justice commission met on Saturday to discuss a draft bill from Erdoğan's AK party that would give it more say over the appointment of judges and prosecutors.
Erdoğan's opponents view the bill as an effort to stifle a corruption scandal that has already led to the resignation of three cabinet ministers.Erdoğan's opponents view the bill as an effort to stifle a corruption scandal that has already led to the resignation of three cabinet ministers.
The fight erupted when the head of a judicial union, Omer Faruk Eminagaoglu, arrived with a petition saying the bill would violate the constitution but was not allowed to speak, witnesses said.The fight erupted when the head of a judicial union, Omer Faruk Eminagaoglu, arrived with a petition saying the bill would violate the constitution but was not allowed to speak, witnesses said.
"These are not legal professionals, these are the militants of this business," Erdoğan said of Eminagaoglu's intervention, adding that he had no authority to interrupt the commission's work."These are not legal professionals, these are the militants of this business," Erdoğan said of Eminagaoglu's intervention, adding that he had no authority to interrupt the commission's work.
Erdoğan has cast the corruption investigation, which poses one of the biggest challenges of his 11-year rule, as an attempted "judicial coup" meant to undermine him in the run-up to local and presidential elections later this year. Erdoğan has cast the corruption investigation, which poses one of the biggest challenges of his 11-year rule, as an attempted "judicial coup" meant to undermine him in the runup to local and presidential elections this year.
He has responded by purging the police of hundreds of officers and seeking tighter control over the judiciary. He has responded by purging the police of hundreds of officers and seeking tighter control of the judiciary.
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