Renzi: "Italian judges answer to the law, not to Erdogan"

Italian Prime Minister Renzi, left, with Turkish President Erdogan, right

 ROME -- Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has defended the Italian justice system to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying that Italy’s judges answer to “the constitution, and not the President of Turkey.” His remark on twitter was in relation to a money-laundering probe into Erdogan’s son Bilal, aged 35, who is a student in Bologna.

 “In Italy, there is an autonomous and independent judiciary which always acts according to the law, and which combats all forms of lawlessness,” said Renzi about the enquiry into Bilal’s reported money laundering.

 “In this country, the judges respond to the law and to the constitution, not to the Turkish president. It’s called ‘rule of law’ #Italia,” Renzi wrote on twitter, adding that he is proud of the way in which the justice system works.

 Bilal, who studies at John Hopkins University in Bologna, is being investigated by Public Prosecution Office for reported involvement in money-laundering. The inclusion of Bilal’s name in the list of those under investigation for their implication follows a petition put forward to the authorities by political opponent of Erdogan, Turkish businessman Murat Hakan Uzan. He is currently wanted by the Turkish authorities and is in exile.

 The petition put forward by Uzan called on the Italian police to investigate Bilal for bringing potential sums of money into Italy from Turkey. Bilal began his studies in Bologna in 2007, and had officially returned to Italy to resume his PhD in the autumn of 2015.

 Erdogan said on Tuesday that the investigation into this son’s activity could put relations between Italy and Turkey “in difficulty.” He also said that Italy “should be dealing with the mafia instead” during an interview with RAI News 24.

 Erdogan has denied any wrongdoing by his son Bilal and has accused the prosecutors of bias. Bilal is currently in Turkey because if he were to return to Italy, he could be arrested for in a money-laundering probe which he “doesn’t know the reasons for.”

 The Public Prosecution Office investigating Bilal has made clear that it is going forward with the case but has emphasised will not be hurried or criticised, saying “at the Public Prosecution Office we have absolutely nothing to say. We work in a calm and committed way and we are making progress with our activities.” These were the words of Bologna’s Vice-Public Prosecutor, Massimiliano Serpi, on the day after Erdogan’s interview with RAI News 24, in which the Turkish president had accused the prosecutors of focusing on his “innocent” son as opposed to more important issues such as the mafia.

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