Turkey's relations with the European Parliament (EP) are experiencing another crisis.
Medianews.az, citing AZƏRTAC, reports that Ankara has sharply reacted to the proposal of one of the members of the European Parliament to include Turkey's Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek in the EU's sanctions list.
This initiative is included in the "Report on Turkey" draft which will be put to vote in the EP on June 17.
In response, Turkey's Minister of Justice associated the criticisms of the European Parliament members towards Turkey's judicial system and personally towards himself with "ideological bias."
A. Gürlek assured that the European Parliament's attacks on Turkey's judicial system are doomed to failure.
"Political campaigns around ongoing criminal proceedings will not achieve their objectives. I suggest that the members of the European Parliament review their own political past, which is full of questions in terms of ethics and transparency," the Turkish Minister of Justice noted.
A. Gürlek emphasized that the Republic of Turkey is an independent, sovereign state committed to democratic principles, where the rule of law is respected and based on state traditions that have existed for centuries: "The Turkish judicial system makes decisions in accordance with the Constitution and laws, and judgments are issued on behalf of the people. Politically motivated approaches supported by certain circles in the European Parliament undermine trust in EU institutions. The decisions of independent courts remain a priority for us. No one should have any illusions about the possibility of pressure or control over the Turkish judicial system. We will continue to fulfill our duty based on the rule of law."
It should be noted that EP reports have a recommendatory nature, and the inclusion of individuals in the sanctions list is only possible with the agreement of all EU member states.