On Thursday 19 July, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service hailed Turkey's decision not to renew the state of emergency, two years after it was triggered (see EUROPE 11599).
The state of emergency, which greatly extends the powers of the president and security forces, was set up after the attempted coup on 15 July 2016 and renewed on seven occasions. The last renewal came to an end on 19 July and the government has decided there will be no prolongation.
"The end of the state of emergency is a welcome step", the EEAS spokesperson said in a press release. Nevertheless, the spokesperson added that the adoption of new legislative proposals granting extraordinary powers to the authorities and retaining several restrictive elements of the state of emergency would dampen any positive effect of its termination. In accordance with this constitutional revision, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can now issue decress with legal value in many domains, as under the state of emergency.
"In view of the termination of the state of emergency, we also expect Turkey to follow through and reverse all measures that continue to impact negatively on the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and the fundamental freedoms that are at the core of any democratic state", the EEAS spokesperson stated, adding that the EU expected Turkey's derogations from its obligations under the European Convention for Human Rights to cease with the lifting of the state of emergency.
The spokesperson again encouraged Ankara to implement the recommendations of the Council of Europe and Venice Commission, and to respect the separation of powers between the executive and judiciary.
"Concrete and lasting improvements in the area of rule of law and fundamental freedoms remain essential to the prospects of EU-Turkey relations", the spokesperson stated. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)