Fethullah Gulen Tolerance, Dialogue and Peace
Why did the police carrying Kalashnikov rifles along with inspectors from a number of government institutions raided 14 private and prep schools in Mardin on Tuesday?The official explanation was based on “reasonable suspicion” that the schools are involved in tax fraud. It was noone but Erdogan who changed the Code on Criminal Procedure (CMK), reducing the threshold for the burden of proof that is required to obtain a search warrant from “strong and concrete evidence” to mere “reasonable suspicion.”
This law allows the police not only to search any individual, their home or vehicle more easily but has also paved the way for Erdogan to seize the property of its critics on the grounds that they have committed a crime.
Bal, the principal of one of the FEM prep schools that was raided in Diyarbakır’s Sur district, said: “I wish [this many] police officers had come here when our prep school was set on fire and we suffered TL 600-700 billion in damage, on Oct. 6 and 7. I wish they had come here to protect this educational institution and our students then.”
Şeyhmus Taşkın, a lawyer representing the schools, also told Cihan that the raid was based on claims of tax fraud, which is not supported by any concrete evidence. “There is not a single tax inspector among those who came to the schools. This [the raid and inspection] is unlawful. The claims are nonsensical and unrealistic. The [FEM] prep schools have been operating in Mardin province for 22 years. They educate around 1,500-2,000 students each year. They [police officers] have even failed to present documents supporting [their claims of] reasonable suspicion. We will take the necessary legal action,” Taşkın added.To read more on this issue please visit http://www.todayszaman.
