EU rapporteur slams CHP over baseless allegations

“I have spent a great deal of time to arrange meetings with CHP officials but was only able to meet with a deputy chairman so far, and that was a long time ago,” she told Today's Zaman, stressing that she is maintains an equal distance from all parties in Turkey and tried her best to talk to all the actors before drafting her annual report. Oomen-Ruijten also clarified recent reports which stated that she had refused to meet with visiting CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu over the latter's allegations during referendum campaigning that she received expensive gifts and was driven in a stretch limousine during her stay in Turkey. “The only invitation I received was for a breakfast meeting hosted by Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu for a large group of people in Brussels. I specifically asked for a tête-à-tête meeting. They have not responded to my request so far,” she explained.

Kılıçdaroğlu recently drew the ire of many EU officials, including Oomen-Ruijten, after he claimed that the Turkish government had bribed European Commission officials in Brussels and politicians in the European Parliament with expensive gifts in exchange for support on the constitutional reform package.

Oomen-Ruijten dismissed the allegations as baseless and described Kılıçdaroğlu’s claims as “crazy and nonsense.” In a TV appearance Kılıçdaroğlu suggested that EU officials and MEPs, including Oomen-Ruijten, were given expensive gifts during their visit to Turkey and were provided with a stretch limousine during their stay. “What gifts were given to these people? Where were they taken during their stay? Who provided stretch limousine services to these people? These claims should be investigated,” he said.

Oomen-Ruijten said a limousine was provided by the consulate of her own country, the Netherlands, in İstanbul. “Not only did they provide a car for me but they also assigned palace-like offices for my meetings during my stay. In Ankara, the delegation of the European Commission to Turkey usually assigned me a car during my stay,” she said.

She also confirmed visits to the Grand Bazaar in İstanbul and said: “Yes, my assistants and I visited the bazaar in İstanbul and bought gifts for ourselves. We all paid from our own pocket. Everyone knows that an elected EU official never accepts a bribe.” The EU rapporteur on Turkey became the target of CHP attacks after she said the approval of the constitutional reform package voted on in a referendum on Sept. 12 would be a significant step forward for Turkey’s further democratization and modernization and expressed sadness over reports that some political parties in Turkey had been calling on their supporters to boycott the referendum.

Oomen-Ruijten reiterated her support for the package and expressed her happiness over the results of the referendum. “Today there are many Christian Democrat governments in Europe and they all welcomed the approval of the constitutional changes. Just like me, they also congratulated the Turkish people for endorsing the package. I supported the package because I thought the package would further democratize Turkey and help solve many problems,” she noted. Oomen-Ruijten added that the approval of the package would have a positive impact on her upcoming report on Turkey.

Concerning the controversial changes to the composition of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), the EU rapporteur on Turkey said the presence of the justice minister on the board does not present a problem. “In Germany, the justice minister presides over such a board. In the Netherlands, the justice minister even gives directives to the council. After the Venice Commission’s endorsement of changes to the higher judiciary, I think there are enough guarantees for the impartiality and independence of the Turkish judiciary,” she said.

Oomen-Ruijten described Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “good politician” and said that “he knows this referendum is not the end of his political career. The prime minister also desires to win parliamentary elections next year. Therefore, it is quite normal for him to apologize to the public after the referendum.” Oomen-Ruijten said the changes are just initial steps and that she wants a brand new constitution for Turkey.