AKP’s bill prolonging State of Emergency passes the Parliamentary Commission

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Drafted by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the omnibus bill which also has articles prolonging the State of Emergency practices passed the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Commission of Planning and Budgetary yesterday (July 13).

With this legislative proposal, a series of measures such as the suspension, discharge and degrading of public officials as part of "struggle against terrorism" will be extended for 3 years as of July 31.

As the omnibus bill has passed the Commission, it is now expected to be debated and voted at the General Assembly of the Parliament.

Details from the omnibus bill

With this bill, the AKP wants to prolong the following practices introduced during the State of Emergency after the coup attempt in 2016:

* With the aim of an effective struggle against terrorism, the articles rearranging the periods of detention and granting additional periods of detention for certain offenses will be extended for 3 years as of July 31.

* The regulations as to the expulsion of public officials from duty, their discharge, degrading and removal of professional titles as part of the fight against terrorist organizations will be extended for 3 years as of July 31.

* While it is aimed to prolong the article foreseeing the appointment of the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as a trustee for 3 years starting from July 31, 2021, the duty of trusteeship is to be undertaken by the Fund in the event that a trustee is appointed as part of the investigations and prosecutions carried out into the terror crimes within these three years.

Opposition and civil society protested the bill

The opposition as well as several civil society organizations protested the legislative proposal while it was being discussed at the Commission.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP İbrahim Özden Kaboğlu, also a Constitutional legist and academic, underlined that by the three articles in the bill, a suggestion is made to "prolong the duration of the extra-constitutional and covert State of Emergency by law."

Noting that the State of Emergency is regulated by the Constitution and the Council of Europe shall be notified of it when the State of Emergency enters into force, İbrahim Kaboğlu raised concerns that no notifications are made to the Council of Europe about the restrictions that will emerge in the form of prolongation of the State of Emergency by a covert law.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP Garo Paylan also criticized the bill. Noting that "Turkey is currently living in a regime of State of Emergency", he explained, "The crisis of democracy has brought about an economic crisis in the country. That the State of Emergency will remain in effect for 3 more years means that this chaos will prevail in Turkey for 3 more years."

İYİ Party Parliamentary Group Chair İsmail Tatlıoğlu said that the motive behind the AKP's omnibus bill is "to ensure that Turkey will have the next general elections in the conditions of a State of Emergency."

The Human Rights Association (İHD), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV-HRFT) and Health and Social Service Laborers Union (SES) have also criticized the bill by releasing statements. (TP/SD)