Parliament speaker says he favors the limited death penalty

TEKİRDAĞ

Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said on Sept. 4 that he believes in the death penalty for specific crimes. 

“In a very limited way, I think that the death penalty should be applied for certain crimes,” he told reporters in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ. 
Premeditated homicide and sexual crimes against children should be under the list of such crimes, Şentop said.

For such an amendment Turkey needs constitutional change and also in some articles of the European convention on human rights, which Turkey is a part of, he stated.

His remarks came after Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli made a call on Sept.2. for reinstating the death penalty that would be a deterrent for some crimes.

In a written statement, Bahçeli called on the parliament to reinstate the death penalty as the legislative body will resume its work for the new term on Oct.1. 

Stating that overwhelming increase observed in murder, harassment and rape cases, Bahçeli said, “The picture we see is alarming. Re-inclusion of the death penalty in our legislation may deter the commission of heinous and primitive crimes.”

In 2001, the Turkish Parliament abolished the death penalty for crimes, excluding those committed during times of war and related to terrorism. It was completely removed from the penal code in 2004.

There have been frequent calls by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for capital punishment to be reinstated in the country, following its abolition in 2004 as part of reforms aimed at securing European Union membership, particularly after the failed July 2016 coup attempt.