Turkey Bans Media Coverage of Investigations into Former Ministers' Corruption

A court in Turkey has prohibited media from covering parliamentary investigations into financial corruption allegations against four former ministers. Opposition members have described this action as support for thieves. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan previously characterized the exposure of financial corruption among senior government officials this year as a conspiracy to overthrow him. Following Erdoğan's decision, Turkish courts halted investigations into the financial corruption cases involving the sons of three ministers and businessmen close to Erdoğan. A version of the court ruling obtained by Reuters states that the ruling was issued to prevent 'violations of the individual rights' of the former ministers of economy, interior, European Union affairs, and environment in Erdoğan's government. A parliamentary commission was formed in May to investigate the allegations against the ministers. The four ministers have denied the charges. The commission's first meeting was held in July, and it is expected to conclude its mission by December 27. The Turkish Journalists Association has described this court ruling as 'censorship.' Meanwhile, the opposition leader in Turkey, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, accused the Speaker of Parliament, Cemil Çiçek, of pressuring for the issuance of this ruling. Kılıçdaroğlu stated at a party meeting in Istanbul, 'Since when has Parliament taken on the duty of protecting thieves?' While the Speaker of Parliament has denied attempting to issue this ruling, the head of the investigative commission in Parliament, which is predominantly composed of members from the ruling Justice and Development Party, has confirmed that Cemil Çiçek requested the issuance of this ruling. Some Turkish media, including the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, have stated that they will not accept such a ruling. Reuters further reports that the financial scandal became apparent last December when police arrested dozens in connection with illegal building permits in Istanbul and an illegal trade network with Iran aimed at circumventing Western sanctions. Erdoğan described the initiation of investigations as a 'judicial coup' by Fethullah Gülen, a Muslim cleric residing in the U.S. and a staunch opponent of Erdoğan. Gülen, who was a former ally of Erdoğan and whose followers have significant influence in the Turkish police and judiciary, has denied any involvement in this matter. Erdoğan was elected President of Turkey in August of this year. One of Turkey's most important business groups (TÜSİAD), which is critical of the current government, stated that a survey released on Tuesday shows that half of the country's economic sector predicts that financial corruption will increase in Turkey. A senior advisor to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stated on Tuesday that many people in the country believe corruption exists but support the Justice and Development Party because they believe the government is a victim of conspiracy. Etienne Mahchoupian, in an interview with CNN Turkey, said, 'To escape the danger of a coup, people accepted to tolerate corruption for a while longer. People had to choose between two devils and chose the rational option.'