Cicek: "Everyone should trust in the judiciary and avoid undermining judicial independence"

Commenting yesterday on criticisms of recent detentions under the Ergenekon probe, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said that everyone should avoid making statements that could harm the ongoing judicial process of the Ergenekon probe and trial. Dismissing main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) claims that the probe is politically motivated, Cicek said, "Turkey has a functioning judicial system. The Turkish judiciary is independent. We should do everything we can to promote this independence. Everyone, especially members of judicial bodies, should avoid statements and acts that could harm a fair trial." Referring to a meeting of Supreme Court of Appeals members to discuss a police search under the probe of a former court chief prosecutor's home, Cicek called on the court to make sure that they do not compromise their impartiality by publicly announcing they have a pre-established opinion on the probe. He said it is likely that in the end, the case will come before that very same court. Later, Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Justice Hasan Gerceker said that the court had decided to not to issue a statement after their meeting, citing similar concerns about impartiality and not affecting an ongoing legal process. Instead, he said, they decided to take legal action on the suspects' complaints about the probe's prosecutors.