Will Turkey be added to European list of undemocratic countries?
While various European countries have canceled pro-referendum rallies organized by Turkish politicians, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has called for Turkey to be added to its list of countries considered undemocratic.
In a further blow to Turkey’s spotty global image, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called March 8 for Turkey to come under its formal scrutiny, a status reserved for members that are deemed to be backsliding on democracy. Nine countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia are currently on that hook.
In a report statement the Strasbourg-based body, of which Turkey is a founding member, said, “Eight months after the [July 15] failed coup and the declaration of a state of emergency, the Monitoring Committee is concerned to note that there has been a serious deterioration of the functioning of democratic institutions in the country.”
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Helvetica; color: #4d4d4d; -webkit-text-stroke: #4d4d4d} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} A Final decision on Turkey's status is set to be made in April.
PACE cited the tidal wave of purges that have engulfed the country, with a quarter of all judges and prosecutors, a tenth of the police force, 30% of diplomats and 5,000 academics sacked without legal recourse. It also expressed alarm over widespread detentions of journalists and the lifting of immunity of 154 members of parliament.
