Venice Commission: Turkey on the Road to Autocracy

EU | March 12, 2017, Sunday // 19:13|  views

A body of constitutional law experts has warned of a ‘’one-person regime’’ in Turkey, a German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung has reported, quoted by DW.

The Commission, which advises the Council of Europe, one of the continent’s human right bodies separate from the European Union, reported that the proposed changes to the constitution in Turkey place the country ‘’on the road to an autocracy and a one-person regime’’, according to the newspaper.

In January, Turkey's parliament approved a series of constitutional amendments approved by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that would transform the political order into an executive-style presidential system, effectively widening the scope of powers of the position.

It would also allow the president to be a member of a political party, which is currently prohibited under the constitution as the presidency is expected to exercise impartiality.

“Furthermore, the current state of emergency does not provide the proper democratic setting for a vote as important as a constitutional referendum. Every state has the right to choose its own political system, be it presidential or parliamentary or mixed, but this right is not unconditional,” the Commission also said.

It consists of constitutional experts and advises the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a member.

Meanwhile, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on March 8 called for Turkey to again be subjected to monitoring in order to “strengthen its cooperation with the Turkish authorities and all forces in the country and thus ensure respect for fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and democracy’’, according to Hürriyet Daily News.

 

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Tags: Erdogan, venice commission, Council of Europe, turkey

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