Impunity in 'Advanced Democracy' Turkey under the Islamists.

Impunity in 'Advanced Democracy' Turkey under the Islamists. (TZ).By Abdullah Bozkurt.

From evading massive corruption charges to illegal arms shipments to terrorist groups in foreign countries; from unlawfully seizing and confiscating business assets and properties to a harsh crackdown on independent and critical media -- the prevailing impunity reins in Turkey, which is ruled by overzealous political Islamists who have weakened democracy and suspended the rule of law.

What is bizarre in the case of Turkey is that all these crimes are being committed by complicit state actors and with the involvement of government officials who are supposed to address the pervasive problem of impunity in the first place. Ironically, those who are supposed to guard the nation against the cultivation of a culture of impunity are the ones who endorse it.

The utter disregard for the rule of law, fundamental rights and democratic checks and balances under corrupt Islamists has fueled hatred, racism, discrimination and all forms of intolerance, including anti-Semitism and an anti-American fever in Turkey, while the ideology associated with the Islamists has driven each and every policy decision and action.

Since the impunity is arranged in the upper echelons of the government, impunity is also pervasive in the middle and lower ranks among authorities, damaging the deterrence of human rights violations.

Once the rule of law is finally restored in Turkey, not only will political Islamist rulers be held accountable for what they have done, so will those who followed the illegal orders of their superiors. Just as the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials that were held post-World War II did not excuse those who complied with the illegal orders of their superiors, those who committed serious human rights violations in the last couple of years in Turkey will have to respond to charges. 

The case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is also clear on the liability of perpetrators, from senior ranks to the middle and lower ranks.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his caretaker Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Cabinet members are effectively running a criminal enterprise with impunity and exercise powers that they do not have under the Constitution and as such they are all liable for the rights violations in this country. 

These autocrats have not only abused the criminal justice system to jail government critics and opponents but have also cracked down on civil society, media and business groups by abusing the administrative powers of the executive branch. Hmmm.....I salute a brave turkish Journalist.By tomorrow morning he may join so many other collegues in the Turkish jails....'Enemy of the Islamist State'. Read the full story here.