The Turkish parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill giving neighborhood patrols greater powers, with critics accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of wanting to build a loyal “militia.”
The new law gives “nightwatchmen,” who walk the streets at night to report burglaries and disturbances, almost the same powers as police, as they have been permitted to carry firearms, and have the power to stop and search people.
With more than 28,000 members, the nightwatchmen institution — which is attached to the Turkish Ministry of the Interior and dates back more than 100 years — has grown since an attempted coup against Erdogan in July 2016.
Debate over the bill triggered heated exchanges in parliament, with deputies even coming to blows during a session on Tuesday.
Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, which put forward the bill, says that the new rules enable nightwatchmen to more effectively help law enforcement by thwarting burglaries and preventing assaults.
In old Turkish films, the guards are portrayed as benevolent uncles patrolling the streets with a whistle between their lips, on the lookout for troublemakers, but the opposition accused Erdogan of setting up a loyal armed force.
“They are using the institution of nightwatchmen to set up a militia,” Mahir Polat from the main opposition Republican People’s Party said on Tuesday, adding that police should be reinforced if needed.
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