Middle East

Turkeys Erdogan, alliance partner agree to lift state of emergency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his government alliance partner have agreed not to extend emergency rule when the current three-month period expires in July, the pro-government Sabah newspaper said on Thursday.

The state of emergency has been in place since after an attempted coup in July 2016 and has been extended every three months since then. Erdogan said this month it would be lifted if he won the June 24 elections.

Erdogan won 53 percent of the vote in Sundays presidential vote, extending his rule until at least 2023 – but now with the sweeping executive powers that Turks narrowly backed in a referendum last year.

Erdogan and his alliance partner, the national MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon. Sources have said Erdogan could give the MHP cabinet posts, rewarding their support for his AK Party in parliament.

“In the talks, agreement was reached not to extend the state of emergency,” the Sabah newspaper said without providing details. It did not specify the source of its report.

The state of emergency enables Erdogan and the government to bypass parliament in passing new laws and allows them to suspend rights and freedoms. Critics say Erdogan has used the state of emergency as a pretext to quash dissent. Turkey has said the measures are necessary to fend off security threats.

SHOW MORE

Last Update: Thursday, 28 June 2018 KSA 08:50 – GMT 05:50

Related Articles

Middle East

Israel PM ‘flew to Saudi Arabia for secret talks with crown prince’

bbc– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia on...

Middle East

Lebanon’s unfinished revolution: One year after protests, change has yet to come

Issued on: 21/10/2020 – 12:18Modified: 21/10/2020 – 14:28 It's been one year...

Middle East

Israel lauds UAE delegation visit as ‘making history’, Palestinians deem it ‘shameful’

Issued on: 20/10/2020 – 14:27 In an historic first visit by a...

Middle East

Iran rules out weapons ‘buying spree’ as UN embargo is set to expire

Issued on: 18/10/2020 – 07:42 Iran said it was self-reliant in its...