The Venice Commission, an advisory body of constitutional law experts, has described a "dramatic decline in democratic order" in Turkey and warned of a "one-person regime", the German newspaper "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported on Wednesday. It would also allow the president to be a member of a political party, which is currently prohibited under the constitution as the presidency is expected to exercise impartiality. "The state will be degraded to a one political party and that political party will be turned into the state's party. Turkey has come under heavy criticism in Germany after the arrest of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel. More than 43,000 soldiers, police officers, judges and teachers have been arrested for suspected involvement in the failed coup.

Source: Egypt Independent March 01, 2017 12:31 UTC