President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday ratified the articles of the Domestic Security Reform Package, which seeks to tighten security in Turkey by granting expanding powers to security forces.
The Domestic Security Reform Package that passed the Turkish parliament on March 27, which was prepared by the government in efforts to establish a balance between freedom and security for its citizens while enhancing the civilian identity of the state, and prepared in line with EU standards of security, freedoms and security regulations, received the approval of President Erdoğan.
After being signed by the Turkish president, the domestic security law was sent to the prime ministry to be published in the Official Gazette and enter into force.
According to the bill, during any gathering or protest, participants will be prohibited from carrying fireworks, Molotov cocktails and slingshots, and punishment will be given to those who use them. Furthermore, with the new bill, those involved in the promotion of terror and those who cover their faces fully or partially during protests can face a five-year prison sentence.
The governor, when needed, will now have the power to give orders to the law enforcement chiefs and officials to find offenders of the law. The law enforcement officials will be able to take a person into custody for up to 48 hours if he or she attends social events that may lead to a serious disruption of public order or crime.
Other articles of the bill say that the police training centers will be able to accept new candidates aged up to 30-years-old; the previous age limit was 28.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu underlined in early February that although the AK Party government had given one week for opposition parties to provide amendments to the bill, there were no proposals from the Republican People's Party (CHP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) or HDP.
