The crime of investigating corruption

To my surprise, the parliamentarian mentioned a hotel that is quite ordinary. I said, “There are so many hotels in Ankara that are much better, why don't you stay at one of them?” The answer was quite illuminating for me. The parliamentarian told me that on their return, all their expenses would be scrutinized by the press. Any luxury item would hit the headlines, and they would be accused of abusing their positions.

I don't think any Turkish journalist would ever see a detailed list of the expenditures of any minister or deputy after they return from a trip abroad or at home. This isn't limited to the press; the Parliament can't even audit the government in any meaningful way. The government curtailed the powers of the Court of Accounts, and, as can be seen in the current situation, it is extremely difficult for the judiciary to make an inquiry into allegations of corruption involving members of the Cabinet and their children.

The accusations brought against the ministers and their sons are quite concrete and tangible. The prosecutors alleged that money laundering traffic was quite busy, and that the ministers were getting commissions from the illegal money transfers. These commissions are said to have amounted to TL 133 million (approximately $64.5 million).

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other Cabinet members accuse the police and prosecutors of having a secret agenda in pursuing these allegations. There are photos, legally recorded telephone conversations, bank accounts, cash and other evidence supporting the corruption charges. Instead of talking about all these things and encouraging prosecutors to pursue this huge scandal, they accuse the prosecutors and police of many things.

Government-supported media, for example, accuse the prosecutors and the police of not informing the interior minister about the operation. They're essentially saying that the police and prosecutors should have warned the interior minister that his son was being investigated on charges of bribery and corruption -- even though there are strong indications that the minister himself was involved in some of his son's activities. It's hard to believe, but some media outlets criticize the prosecutors and the police with these kinds of arguments instead of criticizing the government for not immediately forcing its ministers implicated in corruption-related activities to resign. The very interior minister whose son is being accused of corruption and bribery is removing police officers investigating the scandal from duty.

Free media, a working Parliament and an independent judiciary are all part of an insurance policy to prevent governmental officials from daring to engage in corruption. As you all know, for quite some time, these apparatuses did not work properly in Turkey. As they worked in such an isolated, protected and non-transparent atmosphere, it was inevitable that some members of the Cabinet would get involved in corruption.

As the saying goes, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Will Turkey open all the channels to allow prosecutors to pursue their investigation to the very end and enhance its democracy, or will we witness a cover-up of this whole mess floating in front of our eyes? These are the questions whose answers will determine the future of this country.