Erdogan Law Stirs Fears of Legalized Extra-Judicial Violence
- No penalties for actions to resist coup ‘or its continuation’
- Bar chief says it’ll incite political lynchings and murder
Recap Tayyip Erdogan
Photographer: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest emergency decree risks inciting political violence by giving legal cover to pro-government vigilantes, opposition parties and legal authorities warned.
The order, declared in the Official Gazette on Sunday, grants sweeping immunity for acting against terrorism or attempts to overthrow the government. Civilians won’t face legal consequences for actions against last year’s coup attempt -- or more importantly -- anything that could be considered its “continuation,” the decree said.