PM Erdogan: Turkish gov't working to abolish special courts

PM Erdogan: Turkish gov
# 28 January 2014 22:52 (UTC +04:00)

Erdogan briefed the press on developments on a wide array of issues prior to his official visit to Iran.

"We are absolutely determined to abolish these courts" he said.

Turkey's parliament has already outlawed the special courts on July 5, 2012. However, the courts continue to operate after the resolution due to a condtion attached to the bill that they finish hearing cases already open. These courts were set up mostly to handle the cases of coups d’etat that have dogged Turkish political history for decades.

With regards to the recent fluctuation in currencies and a possible Central Bank intervention, the prime minister said that he was opposed to an interest rate hike.

"I am against the interest rate hike, as I was before, but I do not have the authority to intervene in the Central Bank decisions," he said.

Asked about the prospects of the Geneva II peace conference, Erdogan said it was not easy to forecast what would come out of it.

"The stance of Russia and Iran are critical to the outcome of Geneva II, and we will discuss this issue during my visit," he said.

Erdogan added that Turkey had taken the humanitarian crisis in Yarmouk refugee camp to the UN Security Council, but was faced with a veto.

On Turkey-Iran relations, Erdogan said that a high-level cooperation council with Iran has been formed and it would be a new stimulus for bilateral relations.

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