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CHP's appeals to top court have cost Turkey $50 billion, AK Party says
According to AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman Bekir Bozdağ, Turkey has lost $50 billion so far due to CHP appeals at the top court. In other words, Turkey would see investments and in return revenue of $50 billion had the main opposition party not appealed some of the AK Party's projects at the Constitutional Court. “Appeals made between 2002 and 2007 in particular led to Turkey losing much time and money,” Bozdağ told Today's Zaman.
Since 2002, the CHP has filed 157 appeals at the Constitutional Court. More than 110 of the appeals came during the AK Party's first term in government, namely between 2002 and 2007, and more than 40 came during the ruling party's second term, after the June 2007 general elections.
The Constitutional Court has so far accepted 62 appeals of the CHP and cancelled many of the government's projects. The court rejected 33 of the appeals, and is still continuing deliberations on 62 of the appeals. According to official data, Turkey saw the most appeals at the Constitutional Court in its history after 2002. The court was established in 1961.
The AK Party government was planning to reap an income of around $25 billion thanks to a bill for the sale of deforested areas of land, known to the public as the 2-B bill. In 2004, the government tried to sell 2-B land, but its efforts were thwarted by former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the CHP, which petitioned the Constitutional Court to cancel the sales.
2-B land is designated as forested areas in the state's cadastral registries but is no longer forested. Shanty houses have been built on most of the land and the government hopes to reap tens of billions of dollars following its sale. Once opposed to the sale of 2-B land, the CHP recently made a U-turn and pledged to pass a bill for the sale of deforested areas if it becomes the ruling party in the June 12 parliamentary elections.
The nation's cadastral registries have already determined the identities of the occupiers of 95 percent of 2-B land, which includes villagers as well as occupants of shanty houses. CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Akif Hamzaçebi told reporters last month that the land will be sold at market rates to those currently occupying the shanty houses.
Some vital laws cancelled
Among some laws already passed in Parliament but cancelled by the Constitutional Court after CHP appeals are the Natural Gas Market Law, the Law on Development Agencies, the Law on Metropolitan Municipalities, the Law on Forests and the Foundations Law.
The Constitutional Court also cancelled the authority of local municipalities to grant scholarships to students. The court decision had a direct and negative effect on around 200,000 students across Turkey. In addition, the AK Party government passed a law in 2008 which stated that part of the unemployment fund would be used for the completion of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) for five years. However, the CHP appealed the law, and the top court canceled it.
The main opposition party also sought the help of former President Sezer in blocking the AK Party government from passing new laws in Parliament. Sezer, a staunch opponent of the AK Party and its government, cooperated with the CHP and vetoed many laws passed in Parliament. Between 2000 and 2007, the period he served as president, he vetoed 73 laws and constitutional amendments, the most by any president in the history of the republic. Sixty-four of the laws were passed by the AK Party government.
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