ISTANBUL--Turkey's government has passed a controversial new
security law, centralizing and expanding police powers amid
widespread concerns the measures will be used to crack down on
political dissent.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development
Party, or AKP, pushed the bill through on Friday after more than a
month of debate delayed by opposition filibusters and lawmaker
fistfights. Almost half of the original bill's 132 articles were
scrapped, but key measures were preserved. Turkey's main opposition
Republic People's Party has vowed to challenge it in the
constitutional court.
The bill expands security forces' authority to fire live rounds
on protesters if attacked by Molotov cocktails or other weapons.
The new legislation also lets police search and detain people for
up to 48 hours without judiciary authorization, allowing governors
to bypass judges and prosecutors to order arrests. Protesters who
cover their faces at violent protests will receive a mandatory
four-year prison sentence.
Slammed for its draconian nature, the legislation provoked a
strong reaction from a cross-party alliance of opposition lawmakers
who argue the government is seeking to muzzle dissent and place
security services in hock to the ruling party, rather than public
safety.
Mr. Erdogan's deputies have argued that the steps are necessary
to safeguard Turkey's political and economic stability after
violent antigovernment demonstrations in early-October resulted in
dozens of deaths in the country's majority Kurdish southeast.
After weeks of debate, turnout on Friday was low in the 550-seat
parliament during the 16-and-a-half hour session, which concluded
as 199 lawmakers voted in favor of the law and 32 against.
Write to Emre Peker at emre.peker@wsj.com
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