Is Turkey becoming a police state?
Critics say a proposed law will turn Turkey into a police state by providing security forces with extensive powers to suppress the government’s opponents.
The Turkish parliament has started to debate a security law drafted by the government that includes measures critics say will turn Turkey into a police state. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, with strong support from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, insists the proposed measures are in line with EU standards and are needed to protect freedoms.
The proposed law aims to prevent a repeat of the anti-government Gezi Park protests of summer 2013, and the demonstrations in October 2014 by Kurds protesting Ankara’s refusal to support the Kurds in the Syrian town of Kobani against the Islamic State.
The Gezi protests, which spread to other cities, left at least 11 dead across Turkey, and became the focus of international attention after the excessive use of police force. About 50 people were killed in Kobani riots that were also marked by excessive police force.
The opposition is united against the so-called Internal Security Law, which is being debated in parliament’s legal affairs commission. The draft law is expected to pass because of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) majority.
