In his address to a business meeting in Istanbul, Erdogan rejected accusations that the government was attempting to beseige the judiciary.

He said the judiciary on the contrary defied the decisions of the parliament taken with 411 votes and usurped powers of the government.

Erdogan´s remarks came as a response to Supreme Court President Hasan Gerceker who said the government was attempting to beseige the judiciary through constitutional amendments.

Gerceker who addressed a conference on judiciary independence and constitutional amendments Friday said that they wanted the administrative survision over the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) to end.

He said the Supreme Court wanted the Justice Minister and his undersecretary to be left out of the HSYK, and the Inspection Council to be tied to HSYK.