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State of Emergency in Turkey being extended for the 5th time

The state of emergency in Turkey (OHAL) is expected to be extended for another three months for the fifth time.

State of Emergency in Turkey being extended for the 5th time

The state of emergency in Turkey is expected to be extended for another three months for the fifth time. On Monday the National Security Council is meeting to propose the extension, followed by a discussion in the cabinet and a vote in the parliament.

The first three months of state of emergency was declared last year after the failed coup attempt, for which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “a god-sent opportunity”.
The ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) government has issued dozens of decrees under the state of emergency, which allowed them to fast track many laws.

As a result, more than 100 thousand public employees including academics, teachers, health workers and security forces have lost their jobs, and dozens of newspapers, TV stations and radios have been closed down. Also, opposition MPs, mainly from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP), including its co-chairs, and dozens of journalists have been arrested. Elected leaders of municipalities of Kurdish towns have been replaced by government-appointed trustees.

Despite President Erdogan and his government saying previously that the state of emergency will help them to bring down solely the Gulen Movement, which is seen to be behind the failed coup,  it has been used to actually cripple the democratic forces, opposition forces, Kurdish democratic forces and the workers’ movement.

Last summer, in an attempt to attract international companies to invest in Turkey President Erdoğan said that they have banned many strikes because of the state of emergency.


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