ANKARA: Turkey will next week lift the state of emergency introduced after a failed 2016 coup and which granted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government greater powers to detain suspects, his spokesman said on Friday.
The announcement comes after Erdogan chaired the first cabinet meeting since he won elections last month endowing him with sweeping new powers, and pressing economic challenges topping the agenda.
"The current state of emergency is coming to an end on the night of July 18. Mr President has the will... not to extend it," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters after the meeting in Ankara.
Under emergency rule, renewed seven times since the abortive coup against Erdogan's elected government, over 110,000 public sector employees have been removed from their jobs while tens of thousands more have been suspended in a crackdown criticised by Ankara's Western allies.
Amnesty International in April said freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial had been "decimated" under the state of emergency introduced five days after the attempted putsch on July 15, 2016.
More than 1,300 associations and foundations have been shut down under the measures.
However the government says the purges are needed to rid the state of the "virus" of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen blamed by the authorities for masterminding the coup bid.
Gulen, who is based in the US, has denied any role and insists his movement promotes peace.
Kalin added that the lifting of emergency rule would not slow down Turkey's fight against terror, and that the fight would continue "in a determined fashion" under counter-terrorism laws.
But he said that if Turkey faces another "extraordinary threat, the state of emergency might be reintroduced".
In his election campaign, Erdogan promised not to prolong the emergency rule.
The strongman was sworn in for a second presidential term on Monday under the new system that grants the head of state executive powers while abolishing the post of prime minister.
Erdogan vowed to "work tirelessly to build a Turkey that can look to the future with confidence", at a ceremony in the former parliament shortly before the cabinet meeting at his vast presidential palace.
Turkey to lift state of emergency next week
Turkey to lift state of emergency next week
- Turkey will next week lift the state of emergency introduced after a failed 2016 coup which granted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government greater powers to detain suspects.
- The announcement comes after Erdogan chaired the first cabinet meeting since he won elections last month endowing him with sweeping new powers.
King of Jordan praises Europe’s solidarity with Arab countries amid Iranian attacks
- King Abdullah warns of the danger of US-Israeli conflict with Iran spreading to stable Arab countries
- He commends efforts by the Iraqi government to deescalate and mitigate tensions in the region
LONDON: King Abdullah praised Europe on Monday for the solidarity it has shown with Jordan and Arab Gulf states.
Speaking during a teleconference with leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Armenia, he emphasized the need for ongoing cooperation to protect civilians and ensure calm.
Other participants included Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East following the US and Israel strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28. Tehran retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks against several countries in the region.
King Abdullah warned of the danger of the conflict spreading to stable Arab countries and emphasized the need for diplomacy and dialogue to ease regional tensions, the Jordan News Agency reported.
He commended efforts by the Iraqi government to deescalate and mitigate tensions in the region, and warned against Israeli escalations in Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories.
He also affirmed the continuing support of Jordan for the Lebanese people in their efforts to maintain security, stability and sovereignty.
