Issues and developments during the Turkish general elections

President Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks on Oct. 29, in which he said reinstating the death penalty could be on parliament's agenda "soon," rekindled debates about the quality of democracy in Turkey and also put the country's position in further jeopardy vis-a-vis European institutions.

Accusing the Republican People's Party (CHP) of supporting the Gülen movement is nothing but comedy, the social democratic party's leader has said, blaming the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for preparing the conditions for the failed coup through its generous support to the Gülen movement since it came to power. 

Turkey's existing "democracy crisis" has been exacerbated by the ongoing state of emergency in the aftermath of the failed July 15 military coup attempt, former European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judge Rıza Türmen has said.

The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been meeting in northern Iraq, former Interior Minister Efkan Ala has claimed, saying they are working together to "drag Turkey into chaos." 

The movement of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen took drug lord Pablo Escobar's financial structure as an example, Police Academy Vice President Professor Şafak Ertan has told a parliamentary commission formed to investigate the July 15 failed coup attempt, believed to have been orchestrated by the Gülenists.

​The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has shared a proposal to establish an inter-party commission with opposition parties to evaluate the criticisms directed at the implementation of decree laws. 

The commission, according to the AKP's proposition, will be composed of five members, one member from each parties which has a group in the parliament, as well as one minister. 

The government should reveal the roots of the Fethullahist Terror Organization's (FETÖ) infiltration into state institutions, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, claiming that the extension of the state of emergency aimed to obscure the "political links" behind the Gülen movement's power grab. 

The new legislative year of the Turkish parliament began on Oct. 1 under the leadership of Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman with a ceremony where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said a constitution change should be a priority for the lawmakers.

"First we should materialize a constitution change," he said.

"I think that the recent steps are important."

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has stressed the need for the trial without delay of suspects in the July 15 coup attempt, warning that nearly 1 million people had suffered from the state of emergency declared in the wake of the failed takeover bid. 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government long knew about the threat posed by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, who was accused of masterminding the attempted takeover on July 15, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said.