Turkey warned against reintroducing death penalty
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Demonstrators hold a banner reading “Cancel the state of emergency” as they protest against the extension of the state of emergency, on October 15, 2016 in Ankara
The Council of Europe has warned Turkey against reinstating the death penalty as a way of punishing the plotters of a mid-July coup attempt, saying reestablishing the measure would mean an end to Ankara’s dreams for joining the European Union.
“Executing the death penalty is incompatible with membership of the Council of Europe,” said the council in a tweet.
Turkey is a member of the Council and has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty signed in 1983 which at first excluded capital punishment except in time of war or imminent threat of war. The protocol changed in 2002 ending the time-of-war proviso.
However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that the country’s parliament will be asked to consider the reintroduction of the penalty amid a large-scale crackdown on those believed to have played a role in the July 15 coup against his government.
Turkey has arrested some 35,000 people and suspended or fired 100,000 from their positions in the military and public institutions. The EU and some rights campaigners have harshly criticized Ankara’s actions, saying they are beyond the rule of law.
EA
