Turkish government, after the accumulation of executive, legislative and judicial power into one hand, submitted a security bill to the Turkish General Assembly which grants enhanced and unprecedented powers to the Police force.
In the disguise of ensuring public safety and order, police officers will be given new mandates such as; without obtaining permission from judge and prosecutor police officers will be entitled to order strip search, car search and detention of individuals.
An individual will be “removed” from the scene or put into “protection” by an order from police officer with no indication to time limitation, situations in which police officers can use firearms will be expanded by the bill wording of which is very vague, slingshots, iron pellets and fireworks are being classified as “arms” and heavy punishments are being put into practice for their usage.
Covering someone’s faces in a demonstration fully or partially will be punishable by jail term, administrative chiefs who are appointed by the government, like governors, will assume some of the powers of prosecutors like issuing orders for the police to investigate a crime and find the culprits.
Security forces will be able to conduct intelligence wiretapping for 48 hours without a judge’s permission.
By the virtue of aforementioned legal changes, it is clear that this move is a major step forward from authoritarian state to totalitarian police state which can be describe as one of the last nails in the coffin of pluralist democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms and independence of judiciary.