Turkey's top judicial body, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), has started an inquiry into 54 judges and prosecutors accused of authorizing and accepting the illegal wiretapping of thousands of people. The chief investigator of the inquiry has requested that 32 judges and 22 prosecutors be dismissed from their positions. The HSYK council had also already initiated a preliminary inquiry into the Selam-Tevhid case, which involved prominent figures ranging from politicians to journalists illegally wiretapped under the guise of an inquiry into the eponymous, nonexistent terrorist organization.
Following the Dec. 17 and Dec. 25 operations, which are believed to have been orchestrated by the Gülen Movement with the help of its members within the judiciary, the HSYK continues to make critical decisions on the alleged Gülen Movement-affiliated judges and prosecutors. The decision by the 2nd Chamber of the HSYK of whether to dismiss the 54 individuals who were allegedly involved in cooperation with police officers who had been arrested and sent to court on charges of attempting to stage a coup and political and military espionage related to an ongoing "parallel structure" probe, is expected to be announced this week.
The HSYK already reassigned 888 judges and prosecutors to new positions in January in addition to Prosecutors Zekeriya Öz, Celal Kara, Muammer Akkaş and Mehmet Yüzgeç and Judge Süleyman Karaçöl, who had already been suspended from duty following the decision of the body on the grounds of exploiting duty. Five judicial officials were also disbarred by the HSYK due to links with the Gülen Movement and due to accusations of wrongful conduct in the Dec. 17 and Dec. 25 operations.
The Gülen Movement is considered a national threat by the government due to its alleged widespread illegal practices conducted through its infiltrators in the judiciary and police as well as state agencies, and is accused of wiretapping hundreds of people in the Selam-Tevhid investigation from 2011 to 2013. However, Gülenist control over Turkey's judiciary became a thing of the past after concerned judges and prosecutors voted against the candidates allegedly affiliated with the Movement during the HSYK elections in October, leading to the elimination of the movement's power in the body.
