Turkey's AKP is determined to continue the State of Emergency for one year, and they will put the State of Emergency practices into law. The authority given to the police with the State of Emergency will be kept as is and added to the Criminal Procedures Act.

The Ministry of Justice will put the State of Emergency practices into law with the new criminal law package they have prepared. Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ made comments on the matter.

According to this statement, the authority of the police to retake a statement that was given by the Statutory Decrees issued within the State of Emergency after the July 15 coup attempt will be included in the Criminal Procedures Act.

POLICE WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE STATEMENTS WITHOUT PROSECUTOR’S DECREE

In the current law, when the need to take a suspect’s statement again regarding the same incident, only prosecutors can carry out this procedure. With AKP’s new criminal law package, this will be done by the police.

Appeals made against arrests over the Anti-terror Act will be assessed in 15 days instead of the current 3.

COMPUTERS WILL BE CONFISCATED BY PROSECUTOR’S ORDERS

In the current law, the prosecutors can’t confiscate computers and data without a court order. But with the new law, the authority to search and confiscate computers and records without a court order has been given to the prosecutors. The computers and records will also be open to confiscation as “the copying procedure may take long or there may be technical difficulties”. The devices will be returned after the procedures are completed.

INDICTMENT WON’T BE READ

In the current system, the indictment or the equivalent document is read out loud in the beginning of a hearing. The new law changes this too, and removes the reading of the indictment to increase speed for “proceedings regarding organized crime such as the coup trials”.

CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY WILL BE IN THE LAW

The State of Emergency decree of confiscation of property for people who don’t show up in court will also be legalized. According to the new law, it will be possible to confiscate properties and rights of and debts owed to suspects who are under investigation for coup crimes in a proportional way. When necessary, trustees will be appointed to manage the property.

REGISTRATION NUMBERS INSTEAD OF NAMES

The officers' full name won’t be included in official reports on arrestees and convicts in high security penal institutions anymore, instead their registration numbers will be noted. Notices addressed to the officers will be sent to their work address.