Introduction of death penalty in Turkey will break off EU negotiations.

The introduction of the death penalty in Turkey would mean breaking off accession negotiations with the European Union, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said.  “If Turkey were to reintroduce the death penalty, that would be tantamount to breaking off negotiations”, he told German daily Bild am Sonntag on March 19 regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments at a March 18 rally, where he said he would restore the capital punishment. Juncker also commented on the latest row between Turkey and the Netherlands and Germany over the European countries’ decision to ban Turkish ministers from holding meetings for the April 16 referendum, which will decide whether to change the government system into an executive presidency with vastly enhanced powers for the president or to protect the current parliamentary system.