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Turkey-

A report by the Vakit daily alleging that the main opposition Republican People s Party s (CHP) has received financial aid from the Germany-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation continues to make trouble for the main opposition party.

The daily had reported on Saturday that CHP received 85,000 euros from the Elbert Foundation, a scholarship fund for workers associated with Germany s Social Democratic Party (SDP), which it said is supported by the German secret service and German political parties, in 2005.

Vakit claimed yesterday that the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya, has launched an investigation over the allegations, which Vakit says it can prove with documents. Yalçınkaya was reported to have demanded the documents for use in his investigation.

Article 69 of the Constitution bans political parties from receiving financial aid from foreign states, international organizations or from real and legal persons that are not Turkish citizens. Political parties that do not obey this rule can be shut down.

Responding to a question about the allegations, CHP leader Deniz Baykal said the CHP has never received funding from any foreign foundation, adding, “We have an open and transparent manner in these issues. There is no doubt about this.” Asked about the document cited by Vakit, Baykal stressed: “I have not seen it. All of our accounts are controlled by the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court is monitoring all of our incomes and expenditures. It is impossible for a political party to get financial support from a foreign country.” CHP Chief Accountant Mustafa Özyürek also commented on the allegations: “Our accounting records are very clear. Also, no such money was transferred to us in 2005 as the Vakit daily claimed. Our accounts were audited very carefully by the Constitutional Court in both 2005 and 2006, and the court found nothing illegal.”

The document that Vakit daily cited described the CHP as a “Turkish Social Democrat party” and said financial aid of 85,000 euros would be sent to the party to further develop mutual relations. According to the document the payment would be made via Germany s Bank Für Sozialwirtschaft. 

24 September 2008, Wednesday

TODAY S ZAMAN WITH WIRES  Ä°STANBUL

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=154145&bolum=103

Photo: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1361/845427654_e94447066f.jpg?v=0

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