Ankara reacted to the Gezi & Kurdish unrest: The Erdogan government wants to make it easier for the police to act with firearms against protesters. Even the criminal law should be strengthened.

The Turkish government wants to facilitate the use of firearms to the police at demonstrations and exacerbate the criminal law. As Turkish media reported on Tuesday, citing a government bill in Parliament, it shall be the officers may include:

• to resort to the defense of petrol bombs and fireworks at rallies for weapon
• Participation in demonstrations in which emerge prohibited items such as slingshots, should therefore punishable by up to four years in prison.
• Carrying placards, banners or posters, which are regarded by the authorities as a sign of banned organizations shall be punished with up to three years in prison.
• Hooded demonstrators taking part in a evaluated as supporting action to a terrorist organization rally must allow up to five years in prison.
• In order to identify alleged offenders better, the police can continue to use colored water cannons in their water.

The planned measures include a reaction of the State to the recent unrest Kurds in October, directed against the Turkish stance on Syria Conflict and where more than 40 people died. Critics accuse the Turkish government to limit the new powers to police the right to demonstrate.

The EU had criticized the partially brutality of the Turkish security forces against demonstrators after Gezi riots last year.

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