Turkey has passed a law expanding government control over civil society groups, a move that rights campaigners warn may lead to the closure of non-governmental organisations and throttle what dissent remains in the country.
Legislation approved by parliament on Sunday permits the interior ministry to appoint officials at NGOs and halt the groups’ activities under vague terrorism charges. It also introduces onerous government inspections of civil society groups and limits online fundraising.
“This law provides the interior minister with the authority to shut down any group whenever he wants without a chance for appeal. It raises the possibility that all rights groups may be abolished in Turkey,” said Tarik Beyhan, a director for Amnesty International in Turkey.
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Taner Kilic, Amnesty Turkey’s former chairman, was in July sentenced to more than six years in prison on charges that he belonged to a terror group. He is free pending appeal.
The oversight rules for NGOs apply to a myriad of civil society groups including rights advocates, sports associations and religious groups
The NGO controls were tacked on to legislation that the government said was needed to comply with a UN resolution on preventing the financing of weapons of mass destruction. Mr Beyhan said that “additional provisions were added secretly with the ulterior motive of further limiting the freedom of civil society to organise and assemble”.
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