Turkish parliament approves new anti-terrorism law proposed by Erdogan

Six days after the lifting of the state of emergency, in force in Turkey since the failed coup of 2016, the Turkish parliament adopted the new anti-terrorist law proposed by the party in power, the AKP (Justice and Peace). The law, approved Wednesday, strengthens the powers of the authorities to detain terror suspects and impose public order, and they are allowed to restrict access to certain areas by […] a period 15 days is sufficient for which they allege "security reasons".

Under the new law, the government may also dismiss civil servants, military officers of the Turkish Armed Forces and the police for a period of three years if its connection with terrorist organizations is proven. Events and concentrations after sunset are prohibited unless special permission. The similarities with the measures imposed during the state of emergency are numerous and that is why many critics and opponents of the Turkish government consider that the new law simply imposes a kind of "state" permanent emergency ".

According to the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch, the new legislation "preserves many of the abusive powers that Erdogan had up to here." The European Union has also closely examined the law now approved. "We believe that the adoption of new legislative proposals conferring extraordinary powers on the authorities and retaining various restrictive elements of the state of emergency will minimize any positive effect of their end," said Maja Kocijancic, door -special foreign and security policy.

The state of emergency that had been lifted in the meantime was imposed during the military coup of July 15 and 16, 2016, a failure that Ankara continues to assign to Fethullah Gülen, exiled since 1999 in the United States. The extraordinary measure allowed the Turkish authorities to prosecute the so-called putschists and alleged pro-coup supporters, pro-Kurdish opponents accused of "terrorism", journalists, academics and activists. In total, about 80,000 people were arrested and 150,000 civil servants were dismissed or suspended, who were working in various state structures.