1 in 4 adults in Turkey subjects of prosecution in 2018

Over 13 million Turkish citizens, roughly 25 percent of the entire adult population, were the subjects of prosecution in 2018, amounting to an increase of 5 million cases since 2011, Turkish media reported on Monday.

According to the reports, some 52 percent of the investigations ended without charges, while crimes against private property ranked first among the investigations completed by prosecutors, at 27.4 percent.

A total of 500,650 people have been investigated over real and alleged links to the Gülen movement.

According to previous official statistics announced by the Ministry of Justice, 30,947 people are currently jailed over links to the movement. Arrest warrants for another 22,000 suspects at large have been issued.

A total of 2,060 who are under investigation are below the age of 18.

Although Turkish law does not allow the imprisonment of women with small children, more than 700 infants and young children are accompanying women jailed over Gülen links.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday unveiled a new round of legal reforms that he said reaffirmed Turkey’s plans to become a member of the European Union.

A day before Erdoğan’s remarks, the European Commission released its latest annual report on Turkey, saying that the country had experienced considerable backsliding in the rule of law, the judiciary and fundamental rights over the course of a year.

The enforcement of fundamental rights is hindered by the fragmentation and limited independence of public institutions responsible for protecting those rights and freedoms as well as by the lack of an independent judiciary, the EU report said. (SCF with turkishminute.com)

 

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