Turkey: Erdogan expects return of death penalty soon
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that he believes parliament will pass reinstatement of the death penalty sometime "soon", Anadolu reported.
Addressing a crowd in the capital city, who chanted slogans of "death penalty" for terrorists, Erdogan said:
"No worries, it is [coming] sometime soon. The government will submit it [a bill] to parliament, which I believe will pass it."
About possible reinstatement of the death penalty for those involved in terrorist acts, Erdogan reiterated his stance that the decision would be up to Turkish lawmakers in parliament.
He once more said that he would approve reinstating the death penalty if parliament approves.
After the foiled putsch, blamed by the government on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), many people in Turkey have called for the death penalty to be reinstated for the putschists.
"We will do what the nation asks," Erdogan stressed.
His remarks came Saturday afternoon at the opening ceremony of a new station for high-speed trains in the capital Ankara.
The defeated coup left 241 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. The government accuses FETO leader Fetullah Gulen of being the mastermind behind the July 15 coup attempt and a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the “parallel state”.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also said the death penalty is a "social request."
Speaking to journalists at a reception marking Saturday’s Republic Day, the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, Yildirim said his Justice and Development (AK) Party could negotiate with opposition parties over the penalty.
Yildirim was also among numerous state and military officials who attended the opening ceremony of the new train station.
The $235 million train station, which took two years to build, is among a set of large-scale infrastructure projects set as objectives for the country's centennial in 2023.
The president said the station, with three railway platforms and a capacity for 50,000 passengers daily, would set a good example as a social, cultural, and commercial venue.
The facility also boasts 134 hotel rooms and over 200 rentable areas for restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment venues, stores, and offices.
The new station will be operated by the newly established Ankara Train Station Company for over 19 years, and will later be handed over to the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), Erdogan said.
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