Turkey could strip Turks of citizenship for terror support

Turkey’s justice minister says the government will work on a regulation that would allow authorities to strip Turks deemed to be supporting terrorism of their Turkish citizenship.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag’s comments on Wednesday come a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for such a measure to strengthen Turkey’s fight against terrorism.

Bozdag says: “The president’s statement foresees a new regulation. Of course the necessary work will begin.”

Erdogan has also called for a new legal definition of terrorism and terrorist to include activists or journalists who voice support to terror groups, increasing concerns over free speech in Turkey where academics were recently imprisoned for speaking out against Turkey’s renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels.

Although the president’s role is largely ceremonial, Erdogan often intervenes in the running of government.

— AP