HRW: NGOs Bill threatens civil society in Turkey

In a written statement on its website, Human Rights Watch said that a bill that the Turkish parliament will vote on on Thursday threatens the right to freedom of expression and limits the activities of non-governmental organizations.

The civil rights bill called the "Prevention of Financing Proliferation of Mass Destruction Weapons Act" was introduced by the ruling Justice and Development Party last week.

Human Rights Watch noted that the draft law "was submitted to comply with the United Nations Security Council resolution to combat terrorism, and in response to the 2019 report issued by the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental body to monitor money laundering and terrorist financing," but its provisions go far beyond the goal of prevention of terrorism financing and weapons proliferation.

In addition, the Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, Hugh Williamson, said: "The Turkish government's new law on curbing terrorist financing, with the new powers it grants to the Ministry of Interior conceals another purpose in it: to limit the legitimate activities of any non-governmental group that does not like nor restrict it."

Some of the measures included in the bill include requesting permission to accept donations, limit online fundraising, and subject NGOs to inspections by the Ministry of Interior or local authorities.

The government of the Justice and Development Party, led by Erdogan, has suppressed civil society organizations in Turkey, especially since the coup in July 2016, and the authorities have closed hundreds of associations and institutions under the pretext that they have links to terrorism.

D.H