Ministers and magistrates back democracy in Turkey

Two groups of Belgian magistrates have called on the federal government to exert pressure on the Turkish authorities to guarantee the freedom of the judiciary, following the suspension of 2,745 magistrates and the arrest of almost 200 in the wake of the weekend’s attempted coup.

“The speed with which the list of suspended and arrested magistrates was drawn up arouses concern that these are planned and arbitrary arrests,” the two groups, one Flemish and one French-speaking, said in a statement. “These suspensions and arrests appear to be part of an attempt by the Erdogan regime over the last few months to ‘cleanse’ and destabilise the judiciary.”

The statement, addressed to prime minister Charles Michel, foreign minister Didier Reynders and justice minister Koen Geens, calls on the government “to intervene with the Turkish authorities, as well as the Council of Europe and the European Union, and share the concerns of our country”.

Following the thwarted coup on Friday evening, some 300 Turkish supporters of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan gathered at the Turkish embassy in Brussels to express their support. Demonstrators, many wearing Turkish football shirts, held up Turkish flags and images of Erdogan. The gathering went off peacefully.

Meanwhile, pro-Erdogan demonstrators in Beringen, Limburg, clashed with police after they tried to break into the offices of a group of supporters of the exiled opposition leader Fethullah Gülen, who is accused by Erdogan of having orchestrated the failed coup from the US. His supporters deny any involvement.

Following the coup attempt, the Belgian government issued a statement in support of the democratic institutions in Turkey. “All parties must now demonstrate restraint and respect for the rule of law and constitutional order,” the prime minister and foreign minister said in a statement. “Respect for the democratic institutions in Turkey and support for the rule of law and fundamental liberties are of crucial importance for the further development of relations with the EU.”

Scheduled Jetair flights from Brussels Airport to Turkish resorts Antalya, Bodrum, Izmir and Dalaman went ahead as usual on Saturday and Sunday. Passengers were given the option of cancelling without penalty. Of 300 passengers booked on two flights on Saturday, 50 passengers decided to cancel, Jetair said.

At the same time, Belgians currently in Turkey, especially in Ankara and Istanbul – the two cities where the coup attempt was concentrated – were advised not to leave their hotels, and to follow developments on the Facebook page of the Belgian embassy.

Photo: Marius Becker/dpa