ISTANBUL: President Tayyip Erdogan pledged on Tuesday to continue security operations along all of Turkey’s borders until security threats are completely removed, adding no one had the right to criticise a new anti-terrorism law the government is drafting.
Emergency rule, put in place following a July 2016 coup attempt, expired last week. Opponents say the government’s new anti-terrorism bill, now being debated in parliament, will give Erdogan with sweeping security powers.
Since the failed coup, more than 150,000 civil servants have been purged and 77,000 people have been charged in a crackdown criticised by rights groups. Turkey has also launched cross-border operations into Syria citing terrorist threats by Kurdish YPG militia.
Erdogan was speaking to members of his ruling AK Party in parliament.