Turkish legislators brawl over disputed bill

February 15, 2014 05:43 pm | Updated May 18, 2016 08:28 am IST - Ankara

Turkey’s parliament has approved a bill that would tighten the government’s grip on a judicial body after a tense, all-night session that saw two legislators injured in a brawl.

The legislation, which was endorsed on Saturday, would give the Justice Ministry increased control over a council, which appoints and oversees judges and prosecutors.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government proposed the bill as it fights a corruption scandal that implicated people close to him.

Mr. Erdogan claims the corruption charges are a conspiracy orchestrated by followers of an Islamic movement which he insists has infiltrated the police and judiciary. The opposition says the bill, which still needs the president’s approval, limits the judiciary’s independence.

Media reports said one legislator was hospitalized with a broken nose. Another broke a finger.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.