Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said a state of emergency which went into effect in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and has been extended for several times, will be extended again once it expires, reported Turkish Minute.
The state of emergency, known as OHAL, has been in force since July 20 of last year, after the failed putsch.
Responding to a question about the possibility of the extension of the state of emergency for one more time during a TV program on Thursday night, Erdoğan said: “If the state of emergency expires, it will be extended again. There is no obstacle in that regard. France extends its state of emergency and there is no outrage. Since we need it [state of emergency], who has the legal authority to extend it, the National Security Council will propose extending it and the Cabinet will make the necessary decision about it and we will continue our way.”
OHAL, which is criticized by human rights groups and the opposition for restricting rights and freedoms, has been extended for three times so far.
Under emergency rule, the government has pressed ahead with many controversial decrees that have the force of the law and are not required to be approved by Parliament. In line with these decrees, over 135,000 people have been purged from state bodies on coup charges. (turkishminute.com) April 14, 2017
