Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares state of emergency after failed military coup

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency, following the failed military coup on 15 July, which left hundreds of people dead, while also hailing citizens who took to the streets to stop tanks as heroes and martyrs.

 

The state of emergency has been declared under Article 120 of the Turkish Constitution. It was necessary, Erdogan said, to enable the state to “take the most efficient steps in order to remove this threat as soon as possible, which is a threat to democracy, to the rule of law, and to the rights and freedoms of citizens in our country”.
Erdogan spoke following a National Security Council and cabinet meeting at the Parliament building in Ankara, which was targeted by bombing during the failed uprising on 15 July.

 

According to The Guardian, the president defended the ensuing clampdown, in which thousands have been arrested or sacked, media outlets shut down and the reintroduction of the death penalty discussed, while saying that citizens should not have “the slightest concern with regards to democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms”.

 

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