April 20
VIETNAM:
Beware Vietnam's Death Machine----A closer look at capital punishment in the
Southeast Asian state.
One Thursday in July 2013, Barack Obama and his Vietnamese counterpart, Truong
Tan Sang, sat down in the Oval Office to discuss Thomas Jefferson. Sang brought
to this historic meeting between the 2 nation's presidents a letter Ho Chi Minh
had sent Harry Truman, prior to the Vietnam War, seeking cooperation with the
United States. Uncle Ho's words, said Obama, were "inspired by the words of
Thomas Jefferson." In fact, when the Proclamation of Independence was read by
Ho in 1945, he chose to begin with an extract from America's Declaration of
Independence, its principal author being Jefferson.
While a visit to the White House by the Vietnamese president was an occasion
for historical reflection, the here-and-now was what really mattered. Indeed,
diplomacy and trade were the main talking points, signaling the start of an
emboldened relationship between the 2 nations. But the U.S. president did at
least mention Vietnam's human right's record.
"All of us have to respect issues like freedom of expression, freedom of
religion, freedom of assembly. And we had a very candid conversation about both
the progress that Vietnam is making and the challenges that remain," Obama said
after the meeting. Sang's only comment was that the 2 men "have differences on
the issue."
Little reported afterwards was the execution of a 27-year old Vietnamese man
named Nguyen Anh Tuan, a convicted murderer, which took place on August 6, just
2 weeks after Sang's visit to White House. Tuan's execution was the 1st in
years, and the 1st since Vietnam replaced firing squads with lethal injections
in 2011. However, a ban on importing "authorized" lethal drugs meant it had to
use untested domestic poisons. Tuan took 2 hours to die, reportedly in
harrowing pain.
Between the date of Tuan's death and June 30, 2016, Vietnam executed 429 people
(or an average of 147 executions per year; or 12 each month). Additionally,
1,134 people were given death sentences between July 2011 and June 2016. The
number remaining on "death row" is not known.
These figures only came to light after the public security ministry decided to
release them in February. They are normally classified as state secrets and
rarely revealed. Surprising many around the world who thought the numbers to be
much lower, Amnesty International reported this month that Vietnam is now the
world's third-most prolific executioner of prisoners. Only China and Iran are
thought to have executed more people.
In June 2016, the Paris-based Vietnam Committee on Human Rights provided a
lengthy report on the death penalty???s mechanisms in Vietnam, explaining that
capital punishment is applied for 18 different offenses, down from 44 in 1999.
Like many of its Southeast Asian neighbors this includes harsh drug laws, and
Vietnam metes out the death penalty for those caught in possession or smuggling
100 grams or more of heroin or cocaine, or 5 kilograms or more of cannabis and
other opiates. Other crimes, including murder and rape, also carry a death
sentence.
After reforms during the 2000s, "the death penalty was effectively abolished on
certain crimes, such as robbery, disobeying orders or surrendering to the
enemy. But in other cases, crimes were simply re-worded to mask their
appearance and deceive international opinion," the Vietnam Committee on Human
Rights report reads.
Particularly troubling is the fact that the Vietnamese regime wields capital
punishment for vaguely-defined crimes of "infringing upon national security,"
explains the report. These include carrying out activities aimed at
overthrowing the people's administration (Article 109 of the reformed Criminal
Code), rebellion (article 112), and sabotaging the material-technical
foundations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (article 114).
Returning to the recent execution figures, it is worth considering why the
regime would choose to announce them in February - knowing the reaction they
would cause - and whether they are not masking a far larger number of
executions.
One problem is that they came with no information as to what the prisoners were
being executed for. We might assume that most were for drug offenses or murder,
as has been the case in the past, but it is by no means certain. That leads one
to wonder whether any of the people executed were arrested for simply
protesting against the regime.
Even if they weren't, capital punishment and human rights are by no means
detached issues, as some claim. What is the connection between the drug
trafficker, the murder and the human-rights activist in the regime's eyes? They
are all a risk to national security. Indeed, in his famed essay, "Of Crimes and
Punishments," Italian philosopher Cesare Beccaria described the death penalty
as a "war of the whole nation against a citizen whose destruction they consider
necessary."
But what is the "nation" in Vietnam? It is not just an arbitrary land defined
borders. No - according the regime's own laws, it is defined as akin to the
"people's administration." Since the Communist Party and the Nation are
effectively the same under the law, an attack on the Party becomes treasonous.
Indeed, the law makes "no distinction between violent acts such as terrorism,
and the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression," the Vietnam
Committee on Human Rights report reads.
Moreover, what is a "citizen" in Vietnam? And if it is to be treasonous to
attack the Party, and thereby the Nation, does this mean the person who wishes
the end of the Party is not a citizen? When France did away with the peine de
mort in the early 1980s, Francois Mitterrand's Minister of Justice said the
scaffold had come to symbolize "a totalitarian concept of the relationship
between the citizen and the state." It is this same totalitarian relationship
that knots capital punishment and human rights in Vietnam.
What also catches the eye is the hubristic nature of Hanoi's release of the
execution figures, coming as they do as criticism of the regime increases. They
might be better read as a boast, not an admission. The overriding message is:
We are prepared to kill, and have done so more than most people thought.
Following the 2013 meeting between Obama and Sang, some pundits thought Obama's
ambition was to embolden Vietnam's reformist politicians through diplomatic
engagement and improved trade links. This became America's foreign policy
towards Hanoi for the next 3 years. It didn't work, however, and suppression
has remained as essential as ever for the Communist Party, perhaps even more
so, especially as criticism of the Party's rule nowadays swells on issues such
an environmentalism.
So while Vietnam's economy has flourished since Obama's rapprochement, its
civil society has languished somewhere between desperation and enviable
bravery. Obama's administration bears responsibility for this, and the
strategic patience it gambled on played only into Hanoi's hands. Naive,
perhaps. Or just willfully remiss, as Vietnam???s amity was necessary for
America's counter-Beijing Asian 'pivot'. Maybe, then, Vietnam's activists were
jettisoned for the sake of geopolitics - an unexceptional component of
America's Janus-faced foreign policy.
Today, however, U.S. trade links are far from assured. U.S. President Donald
Trump's withdrawal from the TPP has jeopardized the free-trade bounty Hanoi was
counting on. Vietnam now appears keen to formalize a bilateral free-trade
agreement with the US, and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said last month that
he wants to visit Washington as soon as possible
In a perverse situation, Trump's administration now wields the stick that Obama
chose not to use. Moreover, it has the ability to bargain in a way Obama
couldn't: No trade pact without improved human rights. Since the Communist
Party's legitimacy depends on a growing economy - and 1/5 of all Vietnam's
export are to the United States, which could be further hampered if Trump
pushes through trade tariffs and increased taxes on imports - Hanoi might be
strong-armed into opening up space for criticism, in return for the United
States opening more trade links.
Still, this depends on how much Trump values a human-rights laden foreign
policy, which some analysts claim he doesn't. That said, the State Department's
decision to give the imprisoned Vietnamese activist Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh the
"International Women of Courage Award" certainly irked Hanoi.
Perhaps this explains the adroit use of executions statistics by the Vietnamese
regime, and the appropriate timing of their release. The numbers will raise
hairs in Europe; the European Union (EU) bars membership for countries with
capital punishment, though not for countries with which it agrees free-trade
agreements, it seems. The EU-Vietnam FTA that should become effective next year
but contains no condition regarding Vietnam abolishing the death penalty
(surely patronizing, given that the EU has higher expectations of European
countries than others).
The execution figures, however, put the United States in an awkward position.
It cannot condemn Vietnam when it is still a practitioner in capital
punishment, as well as the loudest proponent of drug prohibition
internationally, too. As is to be expected, the White House has been silent on
the matter. If the Washington can stomach the totalitarian ethos behind
Vietnam's capital punishment then why can't it overlook Vietnam's human right's
record, Hanoi may well argue. Indeed, the moral lecturer on human rights has
the mirror turned on it when capital punishment arises.
One might assume, then, that with little international support for capital
punishment abolition in Vietnam, the cogs will no doubt continue rotating on
the death machine, at least until a true separation between the Nation and the
Party, and between the State and the Citizen, takes place.
(source: The Diplomat)
INDIA:
Madhya Pradesh Seeks Death Penalty For Rapists
Madhya Pradesh has prepared a proposal seeking death penalty for rapists.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given his nod to the plan chalked out
by Madhya Pradesh police. The state government will now forward it to the
Centre for final approval.
"Police headquarters has prepared perhaps the most stringent proposal for
punishing those charged with sexually assaulting women," said Aruna Mohan Rao,
additional director general of police (ADG) from crime against women cell.
The proposal contains harsher punishment from 20 years in jail to death
sentence for those who sexually assault girls less than 12 years of age, she
said.
Once the Centre approves it, the bill will be introduced in the state Assembly
during monsoon session, sources said. Then, it would be forwarded to the
President.
The state government also plans to request the Centre to inculcate the said
provisions into the Indian Penal Code.
Government sources said the CM approved the stringent laws for curbing crimes
against women after a series of measures failed to bring the crime graph down.
Due for Assembly polls in 2018, the BJP government stares at highest number of
rape cases in country with National Crime Record Bureau 2015 report putting MP
on top in terms of rape cases registered in 2015. The state had recorded 4,391
rapes in the year.
(source: news18.com)
SINGAPORE----impending execution
EU calls on Singapore government to halt the execution of Jeffrey Marquez
Abineno
The European Union (EU) has called on the Singapore authorities to halt the
execution of Mr Jeffrey Marquez Abineno, to commute his sentence to a
non-capital sentence and to adopt a moratorium on all executions.
Jeefrey was 47 years old at the time of his alleged offence. He was a drug
addict. Upon his arrest, his urine sample tested positive for heroin and
methamphetamine. He was convicted of delivering drugs to feed his own drug
habit. The Prosecution argued that he would be paid in packets of heroin or in
cash each time he made a delivery. The Prosecution further conceded that
Jeefrey was a 'courier', but did not issue him with a certificate of
cooperation. The trial Judge therefore had no choice but to sentence Jeefrey to
death.
Jeefrey's lawyers applied to the Court of Appeal to challenge the
constitutionality of section 33B of the Misuse of Drugs Act as it gave the
Prosecution (and not the Judge) the power to decide who lives and who dies by
the issuance or non issuance of the certificate of cooperation. The Court of
Appeal however rejected their arguments.
Jeefrey's lawyers said that they received news on 17 April that his petition
for clemency was turned down, and that they understand that he is scheduled to
be executed tomorrow at the crack of dawn.
The EU said that it holds a principled position against the death penalty and
is opposed to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances.
"The death penalty has not been shown in any way to act as a deterrent to
crime," the press statement said.
Adding: "Furthermore, any errors - inevitable in any legal system - are
irreversible."
(source: The Independent)
JAPAN:
Abe calls antiterror bill 'pressing' in Diet debate
Full-fledged deliberations on a bill to punish major organized crimes in the
planning and preparation stages began Wednesday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
attending a House of Representatives panel session.
During a session of the Committee on Judicial Affairs, Abe sought understanding
of the bill, which is intended to revise the Law on Punishment of Organized
Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds.
"We'll continue to work thoroughly to ensure the appropriateness of
investigations, to prevent people from harboring fears and concerns," Abe said.
The government and ruling parties are aiming to pass the bill into law during
the current Diet session, which is scheduled to end on June 18.
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics only three years away, Abe said:
"Implementing antiterrorist measures is a pressing issue. Establishing the
crime of preparing for acts of terror and other offenses can help prevent
serious organized crimes."
The legislation is essential to conclude the U.N. Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime, to which Japan became a signatory in 2000.
"Among Group of 7 industrialized countries, only Japan has yet to conclude the
convention," Abe said. "The early conclusion of it is extremely important."
Shiori Yamao of the Democratic Party referred to the possibility that people
could be accused of a crime even for such menial acts as picking mushrooms in a
protected forest.
"That won't counter terrorism," she said. "If surveillance by investigative
authorities is reinforced, it's nothing but harmful."
Fierce opposition expected
At the beginning of the panel session, the ruling and opposition parties failed
to reach an agreement over whether Makoto Hayashi, head of the Justice
Ministry's Criminal Affairs Bureau, should attend the session as an unsworn
witness for the government. As a result, the panel's Chairman Junji Suzuki, who
is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, used his authority to take a vote.
The ruling camp wanted Hayashi to attend the panel session, saying that
questions concerning specific investigations and practical matters needed to be
answered by the bureau chief, who is in charge of the matter and has expertise.
The DP and other parties, which want to grill Justice Minister Katsutoshi
Kaneda, opposed it. However, Hayashi's attendance was approved with a majority
vote.
The bill stipulates that if a major crime involving terrorist groups or other
organized crime groups is planned by two people or more, and at least one of
them is involved in the preparation of it, all operatives who take part in the
planning stages of the act can be punished.
Among crimes punishable by the death penalty or more than 4 years of
imprisonment with or without labor, the government has narrowed down the number
of crimes subject to punishment in which organized criminal groups are presumed
to be involved to 277.
The government and ruling parties intend to pass the bill in the lower house
shortly after next month's long holidays. However, the schedule for
deliberations is tight, and the opposition bloc is highly likely to fiercely
oppose it. To ensure the passage of the bill during the ongoing Diet session,
some LDP members have called for the session to be extended. .
(source: The Japan News)
TAIWAN:
Move to execute coffee shop killer grinds to a halt after she 'finds
Christ'----Sentence for coffee shop killer officially reversed from death
penalty to life in prison for murders committed in 2013
A female manager of a coffee shop who had been convicted for the robbing and
murder of a couple in 2013, has been given life in prison, reversing the
original death sentence she faced that year.
Today, the Supreme Court dismissed the prosecution's appeal of a life sentence
handed down in 2015 to Hsieh Yi-han, 31, on the grounds that she confessed and
that a psychological assessment found that Hsieh had made a clean break with
her past errors and was at low risk of repeating her crime.
In October 2013, Hsieh had originally been sentenced to death by the Shilin
District Court in Taipei for the murder of Shih Chien University assistant
professor Chang Tsui-ping, 58, and her husband, Chen Chin-fu, 79, before
dumping their bodies in the Tamsui River in suburban Taipei in February 2013.
Hsieh had befriended the couple when they visited the Monmouth Coffee she was
managing. Coveting the couple's large fortune, she laced their drinks with
sleeping pills, stabbed them to death, and dragged their bodies into the river.
Hsieh then withdrew NT$350,000 from Chen's bank account, but failed in her
attempt to withdraw money from Chang's account by passing herself off as the
murdered woman. The case came to light when the couple's bodies were discovered
near the riverside cafe.
The verdict was then upheld in September 2014 by the Taiwan High Court.
However, Taiwan's Supreme Court in February 2015 overturned the death sentence
handed down in Hsieh's 1st and 2nd trials and remanded the case to the Taiwan
High Court for review.
Pastor Huang Ming-chen, who met with Hsieh 20 times during her detention, said
after she had found Christ, she wished to repent her sins and even hoped to
reconcile with the families of the victims. This led the court to believe that
there was a high probability that she could be reformed and that the death
penalty was not appropriate after Taiwan signed into law the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The covenant stipulates that in countries that have not abolished the death
penalty, the death sentence may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in
accordance with the law, and it can only be carried out pursuant to a final
judgment rendered by a competent court.
However, Chen's sister said in an interview earlier this year that that the
reversal of the death penalty "had led to very painful suffering, she said she
was "really very unconvinced! Taking two lives and she only gets life
imprisonment! Her crime should result in the death penalty! This will be the
only way to serve justice in the afterlife for my brother and sister-in-law."
(source: Taiwan News)
THAILAND:
Thai Court extends appeal deadline in trial of Myanmar migrant pair sentenced
to death
For Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun - the migrant workers sentenced to death by the
Thai court in relation to the deaths of 2 British tourists - the new year
brings with it a glimmer of hope. Aung Myo Thant, the lawyer in charge of the
case, confirmed to 7Day yesterday that Thai authorities have extended the
deadline by which the defendants can file the final appeal for their case.
After being handed the death sentence last December, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun
had made an appeal to the Thai Appellate Court, citing accusations that
officials had 'bungled' the investigation by declining to test key pieces of
evidence, refusing to allow independent examinations, and failing to properly
collect and preserve DNA samples. However, the Appellate Court officially
stated on February 23 that the initial sentence would be upheld - an
announcement that caught even the defendants' attorneys off-guard.
Following the Appellate Court's decision, the defendants were given 30 days to
submit another appeal for their case to the Supreme Court, the final court.
Although the pair's lawyers immediately began work on the Supreme Court appeal,
they argued that the March 23 deadline was not enough time.
An initial petition for an extension was granted and the pair was given a new
deadline of April 23. However, their attorneys argued that that still wasn't
enough time to prepare a comprehensive appeal, and filed yet another successful
petition. The team now has until May 23 to put together their case.
Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun were found guilty of killing David Miller, 24, and the
rape and murder of Hannah Witheridge, 23, whose battered bodies were found on a
beach on the southern diving resort of Koh Tao in September 2014. Miller had
been struck by a single blow and left to drown in shallow surf, while
Witheridge had been raped and then bludgeoned to death with a garden hoe.
While the death penalty is technically still legal in Thailand, it is rarely
carried out.
(source: coconuts.co)
PAKISTAN:
Pakistan Army chief issues execution order of 30 militants
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday signed execution
orders of 30 hardcore terrorists who were awarded death sentence by military
courts of the country, the military said.
"These terrorists were involved in committing heinous offences relating to
terrorism," an army statement said.
They were behind the attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, kidnapping
and slaughtering soldiers of security officials, attack on an airport in Swat
Valley, killing innocent civilians, attacking armed forces' law enforcement
agencies, the statement said.
It is the 1st time the army chief has approved death penalty of 30 convicts on
a single day.
The army said the process of execution has been expedited during the ongoing
anti-terror major operation codenamed "Radd-ul-Fasaa" or "reject discord" in
English.
Pakistan's Parliament recently extended the period of military courts for 2
more years after their 2-year term expired earlier this year.
(source: webindia123.com)
IRAN----executions
Mohsen Babaie and 6 Others Executed at Rajai Shahr Prison
7 prisoners were reportedly executed at Rajai Shahr Prison on murder charges on
the morning of Wednesday April 19.
These prisoners were among eleven who were transferred to solitary confinement
on Sunday April 16 in preparation for their executions. The 4 other prisoners
were reportedly returned to their cells, including Mehdi Bahlouli, who was
reportedly 17 at the time of his arrest.
Sources close to Iran Human Rights have confirmed the names of 3 of the
prisoners who were executed: Mohsen Babaie, Farzad Ghahreman, and Siamack
Shafie.
Close sources have informed Iran Human Rights that Mohsen Babaie was born in
1988, and he was arrested in 2011. "Mohsen was an accountant. In 2011, he and
his business partner got into a physical altercation. His partner died after
Mohsen punched him in the face. If the murder victim's son does not forgive
him, Mohsen will be executed," a source close to Mohsen tells Iran Human
Rights.
Iranian official sources, including the media and the Judiciary, have not
announced these 7 executions.
(source: Iran Human Rights)
*******************
Inmate's Hand Amputated Before Execution in Shiraz
3 inmates were executed on Tuesday, April 18 in the prisons of Shiraz and
Tabriz. 10 days prior to the executions, authorities in Adel Abad Prison of
Shiraz had horrifically amputated the hand of 1 of the inmates. 1 of the 2
prisoners executed in Tabriz Central Prison was 28 years of age.
Furthermore, 2 prisoners who were arrested while under the age of 18 are now
facing execution. Mehdi Bahlouli, 17 years of age when arrested, is currently
held in solitary confinement of Gohardasht Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran.
Peyman Barandah, arrested at the age of 16 for his alleged crime, is on death
row in Shiraz Central Prison.
The Iranian Resistance calls on Iranians from all walks of life, especially the
youth, to protest such vicious punishments and arbitrary executions,
specifically the hanging of juveniles. It further calls on the international
community to strongly condemn this unprecedented barbarity in the 21st century
and hinge their relations with the Iranian regime on an immediate halt to
executions and inhumane punishments.
(source: Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran)
TURKEY:
Erdogan death penalty vow likely to be tough sell in divided Turkey
Immediately after winning Sunday's referendum, President Tayyip Erdogan
promised to reinstate the death penalty, a reform put in place 15 years ago
that was seen as fundamental to Turkey's efforts to join the European Union.
The move would be sure to delight his fans, who called for it repeatedly at
campaign rallies. But by effectively ending Ankara's decades-long EU accession
bid, it could be a tough sell to the millions of Turks in bustling port cities,
trade and tourist hubs who voted 'No' in Sunday's vote.
Preliminary results show a slim majority of 51.4 % of Turkish voters voted
"Yes" to granting the presidency sweeping powers, the biggest overhaul of the
country's politics since the founding of the modern republic.
"Our concern is not what George, Hans or Helga says," Erdogan told flag-waving
supporters on the steps of his presidential palace on Monday.
"Our concern is what Hatice, Ayse, Fatma, Ahmet, Mehmet, Huseyin, Hasan says,
what God says," he said. He has promised a debate in parliament on the issue
or, failing that, another referendum.
But Europe would not be the only source of resistance to Erdogan's plans.
Turkey's biggest cities - Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir - voted "No" on Sunday,
along with industrial heartlands, tourist hotspots and ports in 33 provinces,
outward-looking regions that have thrived on strong relations with Europe and
are increasingly fearful of the future.
More than 320 of Turkey's 500 largest industrial companies are based in cities
that voted against the constitutional changes, 181 of them in Istanbul.
"For years, we have worked on getting ourselves integrated with the world,"
Serafettin Asut, head of the chamber of commerce and industry in the
Mediterranean city of Mersin, home to one of Turkey's largest international
ports.
"We have made progress in foreign trade. We constantly think about how to
improve ourselves. When you look at it from this perspective, bringing up the
death penalty again would not really be received well," Asut said.
More than 64 % of Mersin's electorate voted "No" in the referendum, a surprise
outcome in a city which had voted largely for the ruling AK Party, which was
founded by Erdogan, in a November 2015 general election.
"People (in Mersin) turn their face towards the outside world but at home they
see a different story," Asut said.
Tourist centres such as the Mediterranean city of Antalya, through which some 6
million foreign visitors entered the country last year, also overwhelmingly
voted "No".
CONFLICTING AGENDAS
The main secularist opposition CHP party and the pro-Kurdish opposition HDP are
seeking to annul the referendum, while the bar association and international
observers have said the vote was marred by irregularities.
Erdogan has said the vote on Sunday ended all debate, however, telling European
observers who criticised it: "Talk to the hand".
There have been sporadic protests against the outcome in cities, including
Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
"The AK Party is increasingly failing to attract the voters of big cities,"
said Murat Gezici, head of pollster Gezici, which correctly predicted the
outcome of the referendum.
"They tried to convince the masses through patriotic and conservative values
and the voters have perceived this as an indication of AKP's future policies -
turning its face away from the West," Gezici said.
If Erdogan presses ahead with reinstating the death penalty, the AKP will need
to either pass a bill through parliament, for which it does not have the votes
alone, or hold another referendum, which he could swing with the backing of the
nationalist MHP party, which has supported the idea in the past.
In the latest referendum, however, Erdogan was only able to get the support of
35 % of MHP voters, according to Gezici, indicating that the backing he bet
among the nationalists may not be there.
JUST A PRECAUTION
A hero for many in Turkey's pious working class, Erdogan has over the years
also won support from liberal businessmen. His reform-oriented early years in
power as prime minister from 2003 brought stability and attracted foreign
investment.
But confidence has been dented by the worsening ties with Europe, mounting
concerns about political freedom and civil rights after last year's failed
coup, a resurgent conflict with Kurdish militants, and the threat from Islamic
State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
One businessman in Turkey, who runs a medium-sized textile company with around
150 clients based in Europe, said he had recently set up a company in Germany
because of the deteriorating environment.
"It is a precaution in case relations between Turkey and the EU sour further
and affect trade," he said, asking not to be identified because he feared
retribution from customers who are loyal Erdogan supporters.
"I don't expect something as severe as an embargo," if Turkey were to restore
the death penalty, he said. "But I now have a safety net for my business in
case things between Turkey and Europe gets much worse."
Hurriyet columnist Murat Yetkin said Erdogan may have won the referendum, but
some big challenges lie ahead.
"Now Erdogan will have to rule the part of Turkey most open to the world, with
the highest cultural production, export capacity, tourism revenue and
industrial output, with a constitution approved by its most introvert part," he
wrote.
(source: nasdaq.com)
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