Turkey's security council advises extending emergency

By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's National Security Council has recommended extending the country's ongoing state of emergency, according to a statement following Monday evening’s meeting.

The National Security Council, which convened in Ankara under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issued the statement after a 50-minute meeting.

The statement said that the council advised extension of the state of emergency "in an attempt to provide the continuance of measures aimed at securing the rights and freedoms of citizens."

After last summer’s deadly coup attempt blamed on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which martyred 249 people and injured some 2,200 others, Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20.

According to the Turkish Constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum period of six months.

To enact the state of emergency, the government must see serious indications of widespread violence that could interfere with Turkey's democratic environment or its citizens' basic rights and freedoms as established by the Constitution.