Erdogan: Turkiye may reinstate the death penalty 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would approve possibly reinstating the death penalty if parliament were to send a bill on the matter to him, broadcaster NTV cited him as saying today, according to Reuters.

Erdogan’s justice minister said at the weekend Turkiye would consider turning back the 2004 abolishment of capital punishment after the president earlier raised the issue in connection with the cause of wildfires. His nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli has backed the idea and said the penalty should extend to terrorism, rape and the murder of women.

“If necessary, this should be brought back on the agenda and made into a debate. We should see what comes of this debate,” Erdogan was cited as saying.

“I said it before, if parliament makes such a decision as a result of our justice ministry’s work, I will approve this decision,” he added.

Turkish lawmakers abolished the death penalty in a two-fold process between 2002 and 2004 as part of the country’s bid to join the European Union. Its plans have since stalled as a result of issues including the divided island of Cyprus.

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