Homeland security draft bill triggers fight in Parliament

The Homeland Security Draft Law that is supposed to create a safe environment in Turkey and prevent the rowdy scenes that shook the country when pro-Kurdish militants took to the streets to allegedly protect the extremist assault on the Syrian city of Kobani, has ironically created its own rowdy scenes in Parliament with deputies attacking each other during the debates, leading to five opposition deputies being hospitalized.

It is clear that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will be facing an uphill battle in Parliament despite its commanding majority as all the opposition parties have ganged up to prevent the bill. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the conservative opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) usually oppose everything that the government offers, but this time they are joined by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP), which vehemently objects to the bill.

The opposition claims the new homeland security bill will curb freedoms and liberties and will further create an environment of authoritarian rule as it gives massive authority to the police and prosecutors to arrest those who are suspected of militant activities.

The government rightfully says when pro-Kurdish activists took to the streets to "protest" Kobani, in fact, they did more than protest and actually destroyed private and public property and turned the streets of many cities into battle fields. Youths wearing masks threw Molotov cocktails and created havoc. They led to massive destruction and losses.

The government has said unless public order is restored and the pro-Kurdish politicians subdue the militants, the peace and reconciliation process between Turkey and its Kurds cannot progress. So the government did not just leave the issue to the whims of the HDP and the pro-Kurdish politicians but it took matters into its own hands and drafted a tough law that will curb the activities of the Kurdish militants who have been challenging public order and angering many Turks who have started questioning the merits of the peace and reconciliation process.

These are extraordinary times and that calls for extraordinary measures. The state and the government cannot allow the country to be run according to the whims of a handful of Kurdish activists. So the homeland security bill will not only be a slap in the face for the activists but will also give confidence to the ordinary man in the street that the state is not "asleep."

However, we also have to make sure that the police and prosecutors do not abuse their new powers and create the image of a police state. We should not return to the old days where the security forces arrested people in an arbitrary manner. The law has to address these fears.

The government has tried to weed out the policemen, prosecutors and judges that were affiliated to the Gülen Movement and who were actually exploiting their power to topple the Erdoğan administration. But it is clear that there are a huge number of the remnants of the Gülen Movement in the police force.

The government has to make sure that the police officers who are still affiliated to the Gülen movement do not use this new law to create the wrong image about the government by abusing the law and later make the Ak Party pay the price.