CHP mulls legal action against head of Council of State

Turkey's main oppositional party is planning to take legal action against Zerrin Güngör, the head of the Council of State over her recent remarks targeting the Republican People's Party (CHP), which has long been complaining about judicial deficiencies in the country.

"The head of the Council of State has openly expressed she is taking a political side. From now on, we regard her as having taken a political side. We will take legal action on this issue," CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters late Sept. 9 on the occasion of the 94th anniversary of his party.

The row between the main opposition and the country's administrative court has sparked after the latter's head judge criticized the CHP for initiating the "justice march" from Ankara to Istanbul and then for holding a "justice congress" to draw attention to the politicization of Turkish justice. Güngör had described the march and congress as a "so-called justice march" while CHP spokesman categorized her as the "so-called judge of the Council of State."

"Judges normally don't talk [to the public] because it would make their verdicts known in advance. All judges in the world comply with this rule. Those who don't would establish a lien to the government. As they receive instructions from the government, they take moves that would please the government," Kılıçdaroğlu said.

"We regard her as the spokeswoman of the government at the Council of State. It was her who dynamited her credibility," said Kılıçdaroğlu. The position Güngör has taken has saddened him.

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