Turkey’s top court defends release of Cumhuriyet journalists

The head of Turkey’s Constitutional Court has defended a recent ruling on the release of jailed Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, saying its rulings are binding for everyone following criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“Judges are not sacred beings. Court rulings can and should be criticized. For that reason, we respect any kind of criticism over our rulings. However, I condemn the accusations … that we have been taking decisions with instructions,” the head of the Constitutional Court, Zühtü Arslan, said at a legal conference in Ankara.
“Constitutional Court rulings bind everyone and every institution,” Arslan said, noting that neither commendations nor condemnations influence the institution.

“A democratic constitutional state is a state in which legal rules bind the rulers as well as the ruled,” he added.

Erdoğan harshly criticized the Constitutional Court ruling that paved the way for the release of Dündar and Gül on terror and espionage charges, saying he “does not accept or respect” the decision while vowing not to “obey” it.

“I’m not in a position to agree with this decision. I’m saying this very clearly: I don’t concur with the decision and I have no respect for it,” he said Feb. 28.

Meanwhile, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said Feb. 29 that Erdoğan’s criticism over the ruling was his own personal position...
 [ hurriyetdailynews.com]
1/3/16
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Related:

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• Erdoğan says he 'does not respect, will not obey’ top court ruling on arrested journalists

• Statement by the spokesperson on the release of journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül in Turkey (EEAS - 26.02.16)