“Turkey will suspend the European convention on human rights insofar as it does not conflict with its international obligations,” Anadolu Agency quoted deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmus, as saying.
Kurtulmus insisted that the move was the same as recently undertaken in France where a state of emergency was put into place following terror attacks on Paris and then extended after Nice pursuant to article 15 of the convention which allows states to derogate certain rights during war or major public emergency.
When announcing the state of emergency, Erdogan sought to reassure the Turkish people. “The purpose of state of emergency is to be able to take most efficient steps to remove the threat as soon as possible,” he said. “It will strengthen and protect democratic values and rule of law.”
On Thursday, Erdogan told Reuters that, should Turkey need to extend the state of emergency beyond the three months, there would be no obstacles to that.
Concerns were quickly raised that democratic values, enshrined in the European convention on human rights, were in fact in jeopardy and that Erdogan was moving to consolidate power in the office of his presidency and those allied with him.
“In a situation where almost 10,000 people are currently in detention, amidst allegations of ill-treatment in custody, and when government ministries and media institutions are being purged, the enhanced powers afforded by the state of emergency could pave the way for a further roll back on human rights,” said Amnesty International’s Turkey researcher Andrew Gardner.
Amnesty called the suspension of the human rights convention a “chilling harbinger of what is to come,” citing fears that Ankara will restrict freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.
“The government has abused existing laws, the state of emergency gives them increased scope to continue on this dangerous path,” Gardner warned.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), called the state of emergency evidence of the desire for the ruling elite to run the country with a “coup-like, authoritative mentality.”
“[T]he coup attempt has become a tool and opportunity for the government to purge all opposition and limit democratic rights and freedom,” reads a statement issued by HDP’s Central Executive Board on Thursday.
HDP claimed that Ankara did not consider democratic solutions when responding to the attempted coup, which the party condemned, and accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of exploiting the emotions of the Turkish public for political gain.
The pro-Kurdish party called on civil society organizations, including unions, political parties, women and youth organizations, and “all citizens with conscience to stand against this dark and serious time in our country, to be in solidarity for our peoples’ safety and freedom, for the democratic future of our society.”
