Turkey to extend emergency rule, PM Yıldırım says

ANKARA

Turkey is set to extend the state of emergency on July 18 after an advisory decision of the country’s top security board, the prime minister said, as the Turkish people are set to mark the first anniversary of the bloody coup attempt.

At a meeting with media representatives, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced on July 14 that the government will demand the extension of the emergency rule from the parliament on July 18 as the current one expires on July 19.

“Of course, it will be lifted one day when conditions are appropriate but talking about a specific date would be wrong. These are issues to discussed and decided at the National Security Council (MGK),” he stressed.

The MGK will be held on July 17 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other civilian and military officials to request an advisory decision for the extension of the state of emergency. The Parliament will convene on July 18 to discuss the extension of the emergency rule.


Turkey slams US, EU

At the same meeting, Yıldırım slammed the United States and some European countries, which did not allow events to commemorate the July 15 coup attempt, accusing them of practicing double standards when it comes to human rights in Turkey compared to their respective countries.

“On one hand, you call yourself a ‘country of freedoms.’ You will constantly criticize Turkey over human rights and freedoms and on the other hand, you will ban activities aiming at creating awareness in the international community on the coup attempt that threatened the future of a country,” Yıldırım told journalists.

Turkey will mark the first anniversary of the coup attempt on July 15 through massive events to be organized in 81 provinces. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend programs in Ankara and Istanbul while the Parliament will get convened at a special session. Turkey had also aimed to spread the events abroad but the Netherlands, Germany and Austria banned Turkish leaders from meeting the Turkish community to mark the anniversary. In the U.S., the Washington D.C. metropolitan area subway management did not permit posters condemning the coup attempt to be hung.


PM urges Israel

On the question of Israel’s reported plans to shut down the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque for the Friday prayers of Muslims – “This would be a dangerous step. I hope they won’t insist on it,” Yıldırım said.