site.btaTurkish Republican Prosecution Office Launches Investigation Against TUSIAD Chair for Criticism of Government

The Republican Prosecution Office in Istanbul has opened an investigation against the chair of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) Supreme Advisory Council, Omer Arif Aras, for criticizing the government in a speech to the organization's annual conference, Turkish media reported Friday.

The annual conference was held on Thursday, focusing on the anxiety felt by leaders and members about issues at the internal level. 

According to Turkish daily Haberturk, Aras is accused of attempting to influence a trial and publicly disseminating false information in a speech to members of the company.

According to the investigating authorities, the statements made were false and aimed at disturbing public peace and security of the country.

Speaking at the conference on Thursday, Aras had said that "our morale as a country is low. We are experiencing a crisis of confidence. 78 people died in the Kartalkaya fire. Buildings and lack of supervision were the cause. This shows that there is a breakdown in the system. It is easier to set up a criminal organization than to set up a company. The rule of law should be the foundation of a modern state".

Already on Thursday, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc reacted strongly against the statements made at the TUSIAD conference.

"The Republic of Turkiye is a state governed by the rule of law", he said. "No institution, organization or interest group is above the national will. One of the cornerstones of our democratic system is the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. Everyone should know very well that we do not accept any pressure on the judicial processes and that we are against any attempts to influence the judiciary".