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 The proposals submitted by Erdogan's AK Party late on Wednesday
are the latest in what his opponents see as an authoritarian
backlash against the graft inquiry, after parliament passed laws
tightening government control over the Internet and the courts this
month.
The bill gives the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) the
authority to conduct operations abroad and tap pay phones and
international calls. It also introduces jail terms of up to 12 years
for the publication of leaked classified documents.
It stipulates that only a top appeals court could try the head of
the agency with the prime minister's permission, and would require
private companies as well as state institutions to hand over
consumer data and technical equipment when requested.
"This bill will bring the MIT in line with the necessities of the
era, grant it the capabilities of other intelligence agencies, and
increase its methods and capacity for individual and technical
intelligence," the draft document said.
Erdogan's response to the corruption inquiry — purging thousands of
officers from the police force and reassigning hundreds of
prosecutors and judges — has raised concern in Western capitals,
including Brussels, which fears the EU candidate nation is moving
further away from European norms.
It has also shaken investor confidence in a nation whose stability
over the past decade, following a series of unstable coalition
governments in the 1990s, has been based on Erdogan's firm rule,
helping send the lira to record lows last month.
U.S. President Barack Obama, speaking by telephone with Erdogan late
on Wednesday for the first time since the scandal erupted, discussed
a raft of regional issues but also stressed the importance of
Turkey's domestic stability.
"The President noted the importance of sound policies rooted in the
rule of law to reassure the financial markets, nurture a predictable
investment environment, strengthen bilateral ties, and benefit the
future of Turkey," a White House statement said.
HUNKERING DOWN
The graft scandal, which erupted in December with the detention of
businessmen close to Erdogan and three ministers' sons, poses one of
the greatest threats of his 11-year rule.
He has cast it as an attempt to unseat him by a U.S.-based cleric
with influence in the police and judiciary before local elections in
March and a presidential race, in which he has long been expected to
run, five months later.
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The feud with powerful preacher Fethullah Gulen, a former ally who
has denied orchestrating the corruption investigation, is centered
around a struggle for influence over state institutions and has
drawn in the MIT before.
In February 2012, Erdogan blocked an inquiry into intelligence chief
Hakan Fidan that was his supporters saw as a challenge to his
authority from a Gulen-influenced judiciary, in what was a turning
point in his relations with the cleric.
With the police and judiciary purged and the new laws on the
Internet, courts and intelligence agency, Erdogan appears to be
gaining the upper hand — at the cost of further polarizing the
nation.
The judiciary bill, which is awaiting approval from President
Abdullah Gul, will give the government more say in the naming of
judges and prosecutors, while the Internet law will enable the
authorities to block access to web pages within hours without a
prior court order.
Social media and video sharing sites have been awash with alleged
recordings of ministers, including Erdogan, and business allies,
presented as proof of wrongdoing in the graft scandal. Reuters has
been unable to verify their authenticity.
Riot police used tear gas to disperse protests against the Internet
controls in Istanbul this month, while the judicial reforms led to
fist fights in parliament.
Opposition newspaper Taraf said on Thursday that the MIT law would
turn Turkey into an "intelligence state".
A ruling party official said the bill would be discussed by a
parliamentary commission on Saturday and would be on the general
assembly's agenda next week. The opposition is expected to challenge
the bill, but the AK Party's majority means it is likely to pass and
be sent for Gul's approval.
(Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay in Istanbul and Tulay
Karadeniz in Ankara; writing by Nick Tattersall; editing by Alistair
Lyon)
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