[JURIST] The Turkish Parliament [official website] on Friday approved a controversial security bill giving police more powers to search, arrest and use firearms. The bill passed with a vote of 199 to 32. Last month, the government withdrew a more expansive version of this bill after a debate on the proposed law led to a brawl between lawmakers [Guardian report] from the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) [official website] and opposition parties. The revised and narrowed bill still grants [Reuters report] heightened security measures, including the right for police to use force against demonstrators. The government contends that the new law is similar to security measures that have been taken in Europe. However, the bill has been criticized by rights groups and members of the Kurdish minority, who believe the AKP will use the law to target them. Members of the opposition have said they will seek to overturn the bill through Turkey’s Constitutional Court.

Amnesty International condemned [JURIST report] the Parliament of Turkey in January for downing a proposal to lift parliamentary immunity for four former ministers accused of corruption, stating that the decision threatened to normalize corruption and impunity in the country, taking “the culture of political impunity to a dangerous new level.” In September Human Rights Watch reported [JURIST report] that Turkey’s ruling AKP party is taking steps to weaken the rule of law, control Internet and media and suppress critics and protesters. In April the Turkish government lifted a ban [JURIST report] on Twitter following a Constitutional Court ruling, which stated that the ban violated both individual rights as well as the freedom of expression. Last February Turkey’s parliament passed a law [JURIST report] granting itself greater control with respect to the judicial appointment process.