[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

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)