A rally near a park in Izmir on April 17 saw almost two dozen activists detained by police, according to local Turkish media sources. Of the 21 individuals being held in custody, seven people were shipped off to pretrial detention. They are being tried for “insulting” Erdogan and other government officials, Turkish media reported.
Since the referendum, Turkish lawmakers have threatened to boycott parliamentary posts over ballots allegedly manipulated to tip the scales in Erdogan’s favor. Dozens of political dissidents have been silenced under Erdogan’s watch since the constitutional reforms were narrowly approved, according to published reports.
The fate of the activists remains unclear. Erdogan saw the referendum victory as a chance to vow to loyal supporters he would reintroduce capital punishment in Turkey, Germany’s Deutsche Welle reported.
The death penalty was abolished via constitutional alterations in 2004, but has reportedly picked up popularity among Erdogan’s backers following last year’s failed coup. Reinstating capital punishment in the country would violate Protocol 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In 2004, Turkey signed the treaty before ratifying and putting it into effect in 2006.
