Turkey’s Parliament formally approved a motion on Thursday establishing a three-month state of emergency in the country, following last Friday’s failed military coup.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday announced a three-month state of emergency to enable the authorities to take swift and effective action against those responsible for last weekend’s failed military coup.
Lawmakers backed the motion by 346 votes to 115 against. The ruling AK Party, founded by Erdogan and in power since 2002, has a comfortable parliamentary majority.
Erdogan, who has launched mass purges of state institutions since the July 15 coup attempt, said the move was fully in line with Turkey’s constitution and did not violate the rule of law or basic freedoms of Turkish citizens.
The state of emergency, which will come into force after it is announced in Turkey’s official gazette, will allow the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in passing new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary.
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