Turkey has received warnings from the EU, NATO and other world bodies, against imposing the capital punishment on those alleged to have taken part in Friday’s failed coup. The consequences of not heeding the warnings can never be over emphasized.
Restoring the death penalty against those involved in the failed coup would rule out future membership of the European Union, a report says.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by ITV as saying on Sunday that “he could not ignore calls for the death penalty to be imposed against those who attempted to overthrow the government”.
Image: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Around 6,000 people have been arrested, hand-cuffed, beaten and molested in the most dehumanizing way. Nearly 8,000 police officers have also been suspended in the aftermath of the fail attempt to take over governmental powers.
Federica Mogherini [EU Foreign Affairs representative] said at the European Council that: “No country can become an EU member state if it introduces that penalty, that is very clear.”
Meanwhile, another US political stalwart John Kerry has warned that Turkey’s NATO membership is at risk, if the country abandons democracy.
The US Secretary of State said: “NATO has a requirement with respect to democracy and NATO will indeed measure very carefully what is happening.”
The summit in Brussels was Boris Johnson’s first since being appointed Foreign Secretary in Theresa May’s new-look cabinet, ITV wrote.
Mr Johnson who led the successful campaign to leave the EU, spoke to ITV News saying: “Obviously I was making the crucial point from the UK’s perspective, which is that we must keep effect the will of the people and Brexit must mean Brexit.
“But that in no sense means the end of Britain’s commitment and participation in Europe and our support for all sorts of European adventures particularly on the foreign policy field.”
