ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan offers on Tuesday to work with opposition parties on restructuring top institution that administers the judiciary.
The proposal by his ruling AK Party - currently being discussed in a parliamentary commission - to restructure HSYK (the supreme board of judges and prosecutors) and transfer some of its powers to Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag has been criticised by opposition parties.
"We will freeze the proposal if the opposition says 'let's make this constitutional amendment together," Erdogan said in his party's caucus Tuesday. "But today's meetings are crucial."
Bozdag met main opposition CHP's leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu early in the day. A senior CHP leader said Erdogan's offer would be presented to Kilicdaroglu and debated in CHP's central board.
President Abdullah Gul has sought to calm the tension by holding talks with Erdogan and opposition leaders.
"The issue is not one of separation of powers or judicial independence. It is about the judiciary losing its impartiality for being under the control of an organization," Erdogan said.
The government asserts the judiciary is under the influence of an illegal formation which it calls a "parallel state."
Erdogan said the graft probe launched on December 17 was an "intense campaign of smear and disinformation" targeting the Turkish government both at home and abroad.
The probe caused political turmoil when it led to the arrest of the sons of two ministers. A major cabinet reshuffle followed, partly to deal with the crisis and in part to replace several ministers nominated for mayor in local elections in March.
Erdogan said the probe was an "act of revenge" for the Turkish government's "firm stance" in Egypt, "principled foreign policy" in Iran and Iraq, "humanitarian concerns" in Syria, and "conscientious rejection" in Palestine.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
