In a move described by opposition as "dangerous," Erdogan forms pro-parallel forces

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to create a new force operating under the supervision of the Istanbul Security Directorate, in a move that sparked widespread criticism among the Turkish opposition and human rights activists.

23 August, 2020 12:48

NEWS DESK

The unit, which was announced in a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Saturday, consists of 500 policemen, will present its reports directly to the Security Directorate in Istanbul.

The Turkish Peoples' Democratic Party, HDP considered Erdogan's step to be dangerous and must be meet by the people response and parliament, pointing out that the Turkish president seeks a one-man regime through forming a parallel forces that follow his personal authority in an attempt to form a "parallel police force in the city" similar to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Parliamentarian Ibrahim Kaboglu, from the opposition Republican People's Party, said in his Twitter account that the establishment of such a unit "contradicts the Turkish constitution."

He said, that the move to form a parallel security force in Istanbul "violates Article 126 of the Constitution", which regulates the formation of local administrative units whose duties and powers are determined by law.

Lawyer Mehmet Koksal said that the Turkish Presidency creation of a parallel police force in the largest Turkish city "is a very dangerous development," adding that "This is how a police force was formed during the era of Hitler in Germany."

"Koksal" indicated that similar forces were established in a number of Turkish cities in 2018, in order to provide security during presidential gatherings attended by Erdogan.

Jarrow Bilan, an MP from the HDP, said that the new force takes its orders directly from Erdogan, describing its formation as "extremely dangerous."

And in June, Turkey's parliament passed a controversial bill that would grant powers similar to those granted to the police to neighborhood guards at night, who patrol the streets to report thefts and burglary.

The number of these guards, who are affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, is more than 28,000 people, and they are armed with pistols and are authorized to request identification, arrest and search of citizens.

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ANHA