Jet-speed extension of state of emergency

The AKP government yesterday submitted the hand-signed proposal to parliament for a further three-month extension of the state of emergency with the National Security Council still in session and the cabinet yet to convene. The proposal passed through parliament at jet speed. The three-month extension sees Turkey entering its second year under a state of emergency.

The proposal for a further three-month extension of the state of emergency set to end on 19 July was submitted to the parliamentary speaker’s office yesterday afternoon. The proposal was notably submitted before the National Security Council meeting had ended and before the cabinet had convened. The proposal also underwent debate yesterday in the General Assembly of parliament.

Aytuğ Atıcı, speaking on behalf of the CHP group, said that all democratic forces resisted on 15 July and nobody should succumb to the ignorance of claiming the credit for themselves alone. Atıcı, noting that no non-AKP MPs were included in the album prepared for the anniversary of 15 July, said, ‘You wanted to say that it was you who blocked the coup and who is going to be taken in by that? You have tainted this honourable resistance.’ Atıcı, stressing that the treacherous coup attempt had been turned into an opportunity by the ruling party, voiced the view, ‘That evening, the President said, “This is a gift from God to us.” Have you taken advantage of its flesh, bones, feathers and everything and turned it into an opportunity? Yes.’

The HDP’s Meral Danış Beştaş, noting that the state of emergency had continually been extended despite claims that it would not last more than three months, said, ‘The best-read newspaper just now is the Official Gazette. People are following it feverishly because they could be dismissed at any moment.’ Beştaş, noting that Erdoğan had commented about the expulsions, “What can we do? They should go and work in the private sector,” said, ‘Kenan Evren also said, “Shall we spare them from hanging but feed them?” What kind of mentality is this?’

There are many more FETOists

Speaking on behalf of the government, Deputy Prime-Minister Nurettin Canikli, arguing that nobody had been deprived of their basic rights and freedoms due to the state of emergency, said that a state of emergency had been in place for two years in France because two bombs had gone off. Canikli, arguing that there was a need for the state of emergency to be extended, said, ‘This structure had to be dispersed without any loss of time. It was more or less impossible for the fight to be waged under existing laws. When the two Germanys united, they dismissed 500,000 employees from public service on one day. The European Court of Human Rights also ratified this.’ Canikli commented, ‘We know that there are more public employees who are connected to and in communication with this organisation and unquestioningly carry out the organisation’s instructions than those currently expelled from public service.’