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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Turkey to Suspend |Rights Convention

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's deputy prime minister says his country will suspend the European Human Rights Convention as it prepares to implement the country's new state of emergency after a failed coup.

Parliament is set to approve the three-month state of emergency on Thursday, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced it a day earlier.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus says Turkey will suspend the human rights convention in line with an article contained within the agreement allowing for it in time of emergencies.

In related news, a Greek court has sentenced eight Turkish military personnel who fled to Greece aboard a helicopter during an attempted coup in their country to two months in prison on charges of illegal entry into Greece.

All eight received the same sentence Thursday, with the recognition of mitigating circumstances of having acted while under threat. The pilot was acquitted of a charge of violating flight regulations.

The sentence was suspended for three years, but they were being held in custody pending resolution of their asylum applications.

Turkey has demanded their return to stand trial for participation in Friday's coup attempt. The eight deny involvement and have applied for asylum, saying they fear for their safety amid widespread purges in Turkey in the aftermath of the attempted overthrow of the government.

A U.N. envoy is hinting that there are concerns about how the fallout from Turkey's failed coup could affect talks aimed at reunifying ethnically split Cyprus.

But Espen Barth Eide says there's no evidence now suggesting Turkey's government will shift its position of support for the complex negotiations.

Eide says the region's increasing troubles can spur both sides to resolve the decades-old problem. He said Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci remain strongly committed to reaching a federal deal.

A 1974 Turkish invasion, triggered by a coup aimed at union with Greece, split the island.

Greek Cypriot officials say Turkey holds the key to deal because it bankrolls the Turkish Cypriot economy and maintains more than 40,000 troops in the breakaway north.

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