deathpenalty – European Affairs Magazine

Erdoğan says government should reinstate death penalty after April 16 referendum.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he believes the government should submit a draft on reinstating the death penalty in the event that the constitutional amendments are approved in the upcoming referendum on April 16. “After April 16, with God’s permission, the draft would be brought to parliament. If it passes in parliament, I will approve it”, Erdoğan said at a rally in the eastern province of Erzurum on April 12. Although the death penalty has not been in effect since 1984, Turkey abolished the capital punishment in 2004 as a part of reforms to ease Turkey’s accession into the European Union. The move was initiated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and supported by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

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

20 Marzo 2017 BreakingNews @en di

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.