Parliament’s race against the clock

We are always cautious when criticizing a bureaucrat, and when we criticize a soldier, we are especially fastidious. However, when it comes to deputies, we are usually carefree. We forget the fact that we are the ones who elected them, and that they are the linchpins of our democracy.

However, the deputies of this parliamentary term deserve our special thanks.

They passed European Union harmonization laws in an incredibly short amount of time. They were able to finish the job — which should have taken months — in a few weeks due to their commitment. They deserve a holiday.

The race-against-the-clock has not yet ended.
Despite all their work, they have yet to complete the race. The Turkish Criminal Code (TCK) is not yet complete.

This law is very important, because it includes some of the promises Turkey has made regarding transforming the country. For example, the `honor killings,’ or crimes of torture and women’s rights, are included and they need to be completed on time. And that’s not all!

Linked to the TCK are further very important pieces of legislation, for instance, that which relates to penal implementation and criminal court procedural law. The text of this legislation is ready, but awaits completion by the TCK. Additionally, there are three very important amendments postponed to September, namely legislation involving associations, foundations and law on compensation for the victims of terrorism.

All these need to be completed by the first week of September, at the latest. If they are not, Turkey will be criticized on these issues in the EU Commission progress report due to be released in mid-October. Such criticism will undoubtedly be exploited by those countries who wish to reject Turkey’s membership application.

I am simultaneously thanking the deputies while telling them, "Please return soon to complete the leftovers."

Don’t forget, we are approaching the end of this particular road. We shouldn’t provide those who want us to fail with any ammunition.

Diplomat who is the nightmare of resisters
We believe the harmonization laws which pass through Parliament do so without any trouble. While we are faced with only a percentage of the problems, the largest resistance to the efforts to harmonize with the Copenhagen Criteria come, and continue to come, from within the bureaucracy.

They present all kinds of obstacles and use hollow excuses to stop implementing the measures. It’s like no one else cares about the country and these few chosen individuals are the only ones who can protect us.

The most important institution that withstands this resistance and coordinates the process is the EU General Secretariat. Ambassador Murat Sungar and his team are at the helm of the institution and have become a nightmare to the resistance factions.

On one hand, they assure coordination between various institutions in financial cooperation with the EU, while on the other hand, it tries to resolve all the problems and objections encountered during the process, for example:

Sungar and his team are at the forefront of discussions in Parliament’s Constitution, harmonization with the EU, Foreign Affairs and EU Joint Commissions.
Replying to all the objections raised by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the opposition — and satisfying them — is also their job.
Will a presentation to the Office of the Chief of Staff be made about a proposed change? Sungar and his friends are sent to the front!
Sungar is also charged with being Secretariat of the Reform Assessment Group, formed to watch over the implementation process.
This heavy work-load; from answering questions that come from foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women’s associations and Turkey’s ambassadors to EU countries, to the building of a church in Antalya, rests upon the shoulders of Sungar and his team.
The government takes all the credit, but we should also commend those who are doing the real legwork. Volkan Vural founded the secretariat and was very successful at its helm. It appears that Sungar, who replaced him, continues to follow the Foreign Ministry’s primary principle of doing ones duty without making a fuss.

Admittedly, not every bureaucrat is the same.

Politicians should know better than taking all the credit, and learn to protect such bureaucrats.