[JURIST] Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International [advocacy website] on Wednesday criticized [press release] a vote by the Turkish Parliament [official website] downing a proposal to lift parliamentary immunity for four former ministers accused of corruption. The charges relate to a massive corruption and graft scandal [BBC report] that began in December 2013, accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [BBC profile] and three other ministers. The press release warned that with the decision “Turkey’s politicians have sent the wrong message to prosecutors, corruption fighters and the Turkish public about accountability and rule of law.” In addition, the watchdog group warned that the decision threatens to normalize corruption and impunity in the country, taking “the culture of political impunity to a dangerous new level.” Transparency International’s 2014 Corruption Perception Index [text] gave Turkey a score of 45 out of 100, a five point decrease from 2013 and the largest decrease of any country in the Index.

The decision of the Turkish parliament comes two weeks after a parliamentary commission voted [JURIST report] not to send four ex-ministers to trial on charges of corruption. In September Human Rights Watch reported [JURIST report] that Turkey’s ruling AKP party is taking steps to weaken the rule of law, control Internet and media and suppress critics and protesters. In April the Turkish government lifted a ban [JURIST report] on Twitter following a Constitutional Court ruling, which stated that the ban violated both individual rights as well as the freedom of expression. In February Turkey’s parliament passed a law [JURIST report] granting itself greater control with respect to the judicial appointment process.