Socialist International (SI) has criticized the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headlong for its repressive policies and lack of respect for the freedom of expression in a declaration issued during a meeting in Costa Rica.

San Jose / NationalTurk – Representing the main Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the meeting, CHP’s Istanbul deputy Umut Oran stated “The AKP’s authoritarian, repressive and anti – democratic policies were strongly condemned in the declaration. As we can see, the mask has been thrown off, and the whole world is voicing its unease over the AKP’s repressive regime,” The latest example of unjustice shown by the governing party, which takes its name fron Justice and Development is the AKP government and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s support for the investigation into the main oppostion leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, head of CHP had harshly denounced earlier this month the Turkish prime minister for backing a prosecution attempt to put him on trial as a war of words raged on between him and Tayyip Erdoğan.

CHP and Socialist International condemn AKP and Erdogan’s repressive regime

The declaration and he denouncement, unveiled with the tag ‘ The State of Freedom of Speech and Independency of Judiciary in Turkey’, in the Costa Rican capital San Jose at a two day meeting of the Socialist International that represents some 162 political parties from across the globe, criticized officially the recent investigation against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“[Socialist International] condemns the decision of the Turkish judiciary to launch a probe against Mr Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu,” read the statement. “SI recognizes this attempt by the Turkish public prosecutor is the last part of a long term of oppression on any dissenting voice since 2007,” the statement from Socialist International added.

The government’s policies of repression have affected a wide ranging set of individuals, ranging from villagers opposing the construction of dams to students demanding free education, while over 90 journalists have been placed behind bars according to the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD,) the declaration said.

Socialist International called on the Turkish government to show respect for the independence of the judiciary. “Following the referendum of Sept. 12, 2010, supported also by many of our friends in Europe, which claimed to make judiciary more independent and its composition more representative, the judiciary only became more linked to the government,” SI said in the statement.

Why CHP condemned Turkish PM Erdogan ?

CHP’s Istanbul MP Umut Oran explained the purpose of Socialist International: ”The Socialist International is the worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties. It currently brings together 162 political parties and organisations from all continents, protecting the right of labourrers, the poor and the oppressed” Oran said.

Republican People’s Party leader Kılıçdaroğlu had criticized Turkish Prime Minister with harsh words ‘The victim of yesterday has become the oppressor of today’.

Erdoğan had derided Kılıçdaroğlu for exaggerating the judicial move against him in a bid to earn himself a hero’s status, arguing that even he himself was the subject of investigations.

Kılıçdaroglu had stated the investigation against Erdoğan pertained to allegations of fraud and forgery. “How can you consider this as equivalent to freedom of thought?” he pointed out, referring to the charges pressed against him for criticizing the Turkey judiciary system.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had also urged Erdoğan to reveal the content of his secret meeting with former Army Chief Yaşar Büyükanıt in May 2007, held shortly after the Turkish military had issued the so-called “e-memorandum” to the government to block Abdullah Gül’s way to the president’s post in Çankaya.