Turkish gov’t building a ‘Baathist regime,’ main opposition head says
ISTANBUL
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is building its own “Baathist regime,” main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, adding that Turkey is fast “moving away from democracy.”“Turkey is moving away from democracy and it is being transformed into an intelligence state. They are building their own Baath regime,” Kılıçdaroğlu told daily Cumhuriyet, criticizing the state of emergency decrees issued since the failed coup attempt of July 15.
“The latest state of emergency decrees have the understanding of coup opportunism. Universities and rectors are clearly being brought under pressure. These state of emergency decrees are indicators of an intention to extend the state of emergency and bypassing parliament once again,” he added.
The CHP head was speaking to Cumhuriyet on the same day as at least 13 detention warrants were issued for journalists and executives at the critical newspaper.
According to the latest state of emergency decree issued on Oct. 29, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be able to appoint rectors to universities directly without having to consider the preferences of academics. Other restrictions were imposed on detained suspects’ rights to see their lawyers during legal procedures.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the state of emergency in Turkey could not be compared to the ongoing state of emergency in France.
“They are comparing the state of emergency here with the one in France. But nowhere in the world are there such state of emergency decrees. Nowhere in the world is there such governance … Nowhere is there such an understanding of governance or government,” he added.
“The latest state of emergency decrees have the understanding of coup opportunism. Universities and rectors are clearly being brought under pressure. These state of emergency decrees are indicators of an intention to extend the state of emergency and bypassing parliament once again,” he added.
The CHP head was speaking to Cumhuriyet on the same day as at least 13 detention warrants were issued for journalists and executives at the critical newspaper.
According to the latest state of emergency decree issued on Oct. 29, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be able to appoint rectors to universities directly without having to consider the preferences of academics. Other restrictions were imposed on detained suspects’ rights to see their lawyers during legal procedures.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the state of emergency in Turkey could not be compared to the ongoing state of emergency in France.
“They are comparing the state of emergency here with the one in France. But nowhere in the world are there such state of emergency decrees. Nowhere in the world is there such governance … Nowhere is there such an understanding of governance or government,” he added.
