Turkey kicked off the New Year with a full-blown judicial crisis centered on the case of Can Atalay, a human rights lawyer who was elected to parliament last year but continues to languish behind bars even after the Constitutional Court ruled twice — most recently last month — that he should be freed, spurring angry reactions across the political spectrum and casting a further shadow over the courts’ independence and the rule of law.

Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, took to X, formerly Twitter, to signal his disdain.

“This incompetent government has transformed our country into a banana republic where the constitution is not respected and law does not function,” Ozel wrote.

His views were echoed by fellow opposition figures, who noted that the Court of Cassation, which defied the Constitutional Court’s opinion and ruled against Atalay’s release this week, was likely acting under the orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Ozel has called the lower court’s actions a “judicial coup” and is set to hold a “Respect for the Constitution” rally in Ankara on Jan. 14.

QOSHE - Erdogan rivals call Turkey 'banana republic' as high court rulings ignored - Amberin Zaman
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Erdogan rivals call Turkey 'banana republic' as high court rulings ignored

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04.01.2024

Turkey kicked off the New Year with a full-blown judicial crisis centered on the case of Can Atalay, a human rights lawyer who was elected to parliament last year but continues to languish behind bars even after the Constitutional Court ruled twice — most recently last month —........

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