The Turkish government on Monday rejected accusations that an emergency decree would shield pro-government supporters from legal action if they commit violence. The decree, issued on Sunday under the current state of emergency, said civilians would not face prosecution for actions against last year's failed coup, anything considered its "continuation", any further coup attempts and terrorist attacks.
Turkish opposition parties and the head of Turkey's bar association warned the move could encourage street fighting and mob rule, while former president Abdullah Gul - who rarely speaks out in public - also sounded the alarm. The decree was "worrisome in terms of the understanding of the rule of law", said Gul, a co-founder of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) party and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's predecessor, who usually keeps a guarded silence on matters concerning the government.
"I hope that it will be looked at again to avoid giving the opportunity to events and developments in the future that would upset us all," Gul said on Twitter. But top Turkish officials defended the decree, saying the legal change only affected civilians who took to the streets during the July 15, 2016 failed overthrow of Erdogan.
"The purpose of this was to make sure that in the future someone who came out on the night to protect their country will face absolutely no legal probes," Mahir Unal, AKP spokesperson, told reporters in Ankara. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul, quoted by state-run news agency Anadolu, insisted that extra-judicial violence would not be allowed.
"If a citizen has committed torture against another person, acted in a wrong, unjust or illegal way separately from preventing a coup, they will be tried," Gul said. Opposition parties warned the decree risked inciting political violence and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said it would challenge the decree at the constitutional court.
"This article (permits the) establishment of a civilian armed gang with the hand of the state... Are you trying to throw Turkey into the fire?" CHP spokesperson Bulent Tezcan said, adding that the decree was "trying to create a militarist state". Turkish bar association chief Metin Feyzioglu said in a video shared on Facebook: "People will begin to shoot each other in the head on the streets. How are you going to prevent this?"
Erdogan rival and leader of Turkey's newest political party, Meral Aksener, also warned of the risk of a "civil war", while the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party said it feared the decree could lead to "chaos". Ankara passed the decree under the state of emergency that was declared after last year's failed coup. The state of emergency has since been renewed five times.
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