Turkey: Watchmen Bill Stirs Controversy
World
Ankara - Saeed Abdelrazek
A new draft bill to arm watchmen has sparked controversy among Turkish politicians, who rejected it and expressed fears that ‘unqualified’ guards would turn into a militia run by the ruling party. Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) presented the bill to assign watchmen and neighborhood guards, who are civilians loyal to AKP and appointed by the Interior Ministry. The Local Affairs Parliamentary Committee approved 9 articles of the draft-law which allows them to search citizens and demand their IDs, work with gendarmerie officers, and preserve evidence at crime scenes. Many politicians and academics have expressed concern over the bill. Former AKP lawmaker Mustafa Yeneroglu described as "very wrong" the powers granted to the watchmen, saying giving them such authority would lead to severe human rights violations. Istanbul deputy of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Sezgin Tanrikulu said that the AKP has created a local militia force. AKP deputy chair Mehmet Mus submitted last January a bill of 18 articles to the parliament that would increase the powers of the watchmen, giving them authority over neighborhoods and markets. Prior to that, watchmen worked with security personnel, and among their duties was intervening in cases of crime and preserving a crime scene. “We have come to a point where we can no longer ensure the security of our cities and maintain order among police forces. In the face of this new situation, we need to develop new methods,” said Erdogan at a symposium on January 2. After that, AKP presented the bill. “At the time, nobody knew what Erdogan meant,” indicated Ahmet Yayla who is the Director of the Center for Homeland Security at DeSales University and an Assistant Professor of Homeland Security. Yayla was dismissed from his position as a security director following investigations into corruption and bribery cases at the end of 2013. In his article in British ‘The Investigative Journal,’ Yayla said all signs indicate that “Erdogan is getting ready for the worst-case scenario to stay in power.” Meanwhile, an adviser to former President Abdullah Gul, Ahmet Takan questioned whether Erdogan meant a TURGEV, Erdogan’s family foundation, law enforcement agency or the SADAT army. SADAT serves as Erdogan’s backup security force and it is actively involved in the arming and training of terrorist organizations in Syria and in Northern Africa, according to a Pentagon official. Takan compared today’s Turkey to 1936 Nazi Germany and also referenced a leaked video of police cadets pledging “Revenge! May our revenge be everlasting.”
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2112771/turkey-watchmen-bill-stirs-controversy
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