Protests as Turkey extends emergency rule

Violence erupted in Turkey’s Kurdish-dominated south east following the decision to extend the government-backed state of emergency.

Police were seen attacking union members in Diyarbakir province who were complaining against the massive sackings of public workers already carried out as part of a crackdown under emergency rule.

Earlier Turkey’s parliament where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party has a comfortable majority, extended the state of emergency for a fourth time.
Its now been in effect since last year’s failed coup.

The move has been give a mixed reception – some see it as a necessary measure.

Pro government lawmaker and member of the Justice and Development Party, Bulent Turan said:

“We do not want to live in emergency rule, we are not looking for it. However we are facing a problem, and to overcome it on behalf of our nation, and to guarantee our future in the framework of law, we think that the emergency rule has to continue as long as the fight against terror continues.”

People’s Republican Party member ( Turkey’s main opposition) Aytug Atici was more critical:

“President Erdogan shielded himself with the emergency rule, he turned the coup attempt of the Fetullahist terror group into positive chance for him. And he is using the emergency rule as a dictator regime. That is why we think that the emergency rule needs to be lifted”.

The extension follows the anniversary of last years abortive coup which left 250 people dead.
Since then under emergency rule more than 50,000 people have been arrested and 150,000 have been suspended in a crackdown on alleged coup supporters.

The government says the purge is necessary to confront security challenges facing Turkey and to root out supporters of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who it says was behind the coup attempt. Gulen has denied any involvement.