"Turkey Adopts Civil-Military Reform
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 127
July 2, 2009 12:13 PM Age: 2 hrs
By: Lale Sariibrahimoglu
The Turkish Parliament's adoption of an amendment made during a late night debate on June 25 to the Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK), which has paved the way for the trial of military personnel in civil courts, marks an important step towards curbing military power in politics and in meeting one of the critical criterion set by the European Union in Turkey's membership bid. The amendment allows the civil courts to prosecute military personnel in peace time for anti-government activities, threats to national security, constitutional violations and organized crime. The law also transfers the power to prosecute civilians in peace time for offenses currently under the military penal code. The opposition criticized the bill, saying it aims to influence ongoing probes into the alleged plots to discredit or topple the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government (Hurriyet, June 29.)"
More:Turkey Adopts Civil-Military Reform - The Jamestown Foundation
