By Burcu Arik
ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey's state of emergency imposed in the wake of the defeated 2016 coup attempt is expected to be lifted on July 18, a top Turkish presidential aide said on Friday.
“If we are faced with a very extraordinary threat, the state of emergency mechanism can be declared again, ” Ibrahim Kalin told reporters after the country's first Cabinet meeting under the new presidential system.
Turkey declared a state of emergency for the first time on July 20, 2016 following the deadly coup attempt orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
In April, the government renewed the ongoing state of emergency for the seventh time.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election on June 24 marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government, which did away with the prime minister post, among other changes.
Erdogan won the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, according to Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK).
