Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am deeply concerned at the ongoing developments in Turkey, including the latest dismissals of some 4,500 public servants following the introduction of a new Decree on 7 February. The Decree, issued under the State of Emergency which has been in place in Turkey since the failed coup in July 2016, has been used to target officials at the Education Ministry, the gendarmerie, and academics, as well as many other public servants, for their suspected links with certain organisations, e.g. the Gülenist movement.

This Decree brings the numbers of public servants dismissed since the coup to almost 100,000 people. Many others have been detained or arrested. I acknowledge that Orders issued on 23 January limit the period of detention without charge to seven days rather than 30, and establish a complaints process for those who feel they have been mistreated under the emergency measures. However, this latest round of dismissals heightens my ongoing concerns about human rights, democracy, rule of law and freedom of expression in Turkey. I once again call on the Turkish authorities to exercise restraint in responding to the challenges they continue to face in the post-coup environment.

I am monitoring closely the Constitutional amendment package which was approved by the Turkish Grand Assembly on 21 January. President Erdogan, who was the originator of many of the proposed changes, gave his formal approval to the package on 10 February. The proposed amendments will now be put to the people in a referendum scheduled to take place on 16 April. Among the proposals are provisions for an increase in the number of MPs from 550 to 600, a lowering of the minimum age to sit in Parliament from 25 to 18, the holding of concurrent parliamentary and presidential elections every five years, the abolition of the post of Prime Minister and a considerable expansion of the executive powers of the President.

While the Head of State in many democracies has a strong executive function, the ongoing concerns at EU level and internationally about democracy and the rule of law in Turkey, mean that there are serious considerations about the substance, timing and context of the constitutional proposals. The assessment of the Venice Commission (Council of Europe), which is currently studying the amendments, will be important in informing the position that the EU and Ireland take on the proposed reforms.