"Turkish justice doubts weigh on EU talks
By Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: September 25 2005 21:32 | Last updated: September 25 2005 21:32
Nobody yet knows whether the progressives or the reactionaries have won the battle over free speech that has raged in Turkey for the past few days. One thing is clear, however: despite years of reforms, the country's justice system is riddled with loopholes. The result, observers say, is arbitrary justice, which undermines people's faith in judges, prosecutors and police.
Although it is making changes as it seeks to join the European Union, Turkey still endures a justice system that puts the rights of the state above those of the individual. Recent events suggest that reforms made last year to the fascist-era penal code, which were supposed to make the system fairer and less punitive, are not working."
More:FT.com / Europe / Brussels briefing - Turkish justice doubts weigh on EU talks