President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated that he was ready to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey, considering that the abolition was a mistake. He also expressed his irritation due to the fact that the State is forced to feed the 2016 coup perpetrators who are in prison.
During his speech in a meeting in Eregli, broadcast by the Turkish NTV channel, the Turkish president said: “We made a mistake when we abolished the death penalty. Why? On the night of July 15 (during the 2016 coup attempt), 251 of our fellow citizens were killed. Even if they are sentenced to life imprisonment, I’m irritated by that we have to feed them. If the Assembly present a draft law restoring the death penalty, then I will countersign it.”
Similar statements on the restoration of the death penalty were made by the Turkish president in August 2018, when he said that Turkey was sensitive to this issue, and if the Assembly voted on such a law, he would countersign it.
The Turkish president again commented on the situation after the terrorist attack in New Zealand on March 15, saying: “If the New Zealand government does not do the right thing, then we will do it.
In this case I will be negotiating with the government of this country. The terrorist must be punished in the most severe way.”
SOURCE: ANA-MPA