Turkey's Justice Minister said Tuesday the European Union (EU) has deliberately applied double standards to Turkey over amendments to its judicial top body.
The new regulations on Turkey's Supreme Board of Judges and Persecutors (HSYK) are more "pluralistic and democratic, and serve judicial independence better" than the judicial structures of many European countries, Bekir Bozdag stressed while visiting AA's Brussels office Tuesday.
The newly-approved bill will transfer some of the powers of the country's top judicial body to its chairman, Turkey’s justice minister.
The EU had criticized the bill as a violation of the separation of powers.
Bozdag said Turkey expects the opening of Chapters 23 and 24 - on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Justice, Freedom and Security, resprectively - in EU accession talks since the country has implemented most of the EU's requirements.
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