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Erdoğan says Turkey may hold another referendum on death penalty

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at an inauguration ceremony in the western province of Manisa on Feb 24.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Turkey may hold a new referendum on whether to reinstate the death penalty following a public referendum that will be held on April 16 on a constitutional reform package introducing an executive presidency in Turkey.

Speaking at an inauguration ceremony in the western province of Manisa on Friday, Erdoğan said: “The [public] demand for reinstatement of capital punishment will be brought to Parliament. I wish that the moment it is passed by Parliament, I could approve it. But there is a problem, it requires  a constitutional amendment. The 16th of the month [April] will be an answer to this. If necessary, we can hold a new referendum on this [reintroduction of capital punishment].”

Erdoğan and the government have been pushing for reinstatement of the death penalty since a failed coup attempt on July 15.

Turkey has been officially negotiating as a candidate country with the EU since 2005 and abolished capital punishment in 2004 as part of EU reforms.

 

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