HRW urges Turkey's Parliament to reject proposed constitutional amendments

As Turkey resumed second round of parliamentary sessions on AKP’s proposed constitutional amendments yesterday (January 18), director of Europe and Central Asia department of New York centered Human Rights Watch Hugh Williamson released a statement saying, “The proposed constitutional changes concentrate power in the hands of President Erdoğan and further erode already weak checks and balances on the exercise of that power.”

Williamson urged the Parliament of Turkey to reject the proposed changes, ‘which would hollow out the rule of law and profoundly undermine the country’s democracy.’

In the statement, it was also highlighted that the amendments are being tried to be passed under state of emergency, which has been extended twice since July 2016, and, with a great majority of the opposition media almost completely silenced through decrees ordering them to be shut-down and with great pressure on the few remaining voices of opposition.

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/insan-haklari-izleme-orgutu-anayasa-paketi-demokrasi-icin-buyuk-bir-tehdit-143661.html