​Erdogan admits meddling with judiciary, tender results

TURKEY - In Brief 05 Mar 2014 by Atilla Yesilada

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I’m writing this note with a slack jaw and in a state of utter surprise. PM Erdogan admitted that he did instruct his former Justice Minister to lobby the High Court of Appeals to approve the verdict against Dogan Group chairman Aydin Dogan—he was later acquitted by the High Court. In a meeting with local press in Ankara today, Erdogan may have made confessions that could result in a life behind bars, if he is ever defeated in an election. In the same meeting, he also admitted that he urged a pro-AKP businessman, Mr Kalkavan, to object to the Milgem (National Military Vessel) tender results, which the Koc Group won with a bid over $2 billion—the tender was subsequently cancelled. Dogan Group flagship Hurriyet (linked here) has so far published the only English account of the confessions, but I can confirm Erdogan’s statements from secularist Cumhuriyet, as well as staunchly pro-AKP SABAH—linked here (in Turkish). In Turkish law, lobbying or in any way attempting to influence any court by the government officers is a capital misdemeanour, while former PM Tansu Ciller was almost impeached for interfering with the results of a privatization tender. The fact that Erdogan is so non-chalant about these phone chats strengthens suspicion that other allegations against him, such as ordering his son to fix the general convention to get rid of the chairman of the Fenerbahce Sports Club, Mr Aziz Yildirim, or he organized five businessmen to “pool” hundreds of millions dollars to buy ATV-SABAH from the Calik Group. I still withhold judgment whether the confessions will erode his support among the conservative voters, but there is now first-hand evidence of Erdogan violating crimina...