The prison sentence imposed by a Turkish court in absentia against the German journalist Deniz Yücel, not surprised. Who has been prejudiced by the Turkish President, Erdogan, so, has no Chance to a fair trial. Even a judgment of the Turkish constitutional court, which has relieved Yücel of the complaints against it, had remained without consequences.
The judgment of the Istanbul assize court, therefore, shows the extent to which the Turkish judicial system politicized in the meantime, and an Arm of the Executive branch. In Erdogan’s presidential system, everything should be him and his Executive provides under – at the expense of the rule of law.
Although it has in Turkey, the Tradition that justice is also understood as political violence. But no one has pushed so far, as far as the thin-skinned and highly criticism-sensitive President Erdogan. In a first step, he had ensured that he and his majority in Parliament in control of the Council of judges and prosecutors, in the other, the previously independent lawyers should be taken on a short leash, and before the summer break a law on the restriction of the social media should follow.
