Turkish opposition seeks repeal of intelligence bill

ANKARA

Turkey's main opposition has announced it will appeal to the Constitutional Court for the repeal of legislation granting broader powers to the country's top spy agency. 

The People’s Republican Party’s deputy chairman and party spokesman Haluk Koc said at a meeting of his party's top decision making body on Thursday that the party had decided to go to the court as a last resort to stop the new bill from being enacted.

Four articles of a draft law granting broader powers to MIT were endorsed by the Turkish parliament on Tuesday.

Introduced by the ruling Justice and Development Party, one of the approved articles of the bill allows the intelligence agency to maintain direct contact with all types of domestic and foreign institutions, establishments and organizations.

The intelligence agency would also gain broader powers to demand unrestricted access to the records of state institutions and private companies without a court order. 

Separately, the main opposition party applied to the court earlier on Thursday to repeal amendments to an Internet law which would allow the telecommunications authority to block access to websites without prior court approval.

englishnews@aa.com.tr