Turkey's Council of Ministers has decided to extend for a further three months a state of emergency declared in the wake of a failed July 2016 coup.
Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmuş made the announcement Monday, saying the extension would come into effect from April 19, when the previous state of emergency was to expire. The decision will now go to parliament for approval.
The state of emergency includes the granting of greater powers to security forces in detentions and arrests.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had put the extension of a state of emergency at the top of his AKP government’s agenda the day after claiming victory at a bitterly contested referendum on a new constitution that dramatically enhances his powers.
The Turkish National Security Council said in a statement on Monday that it had advised the cabinet of ministers to extend the country's state of emergency by three months.
The cabinet will convene later on Monday and is expected to announce its decision on the matter.
The state of emergency imposed on Turkey soon after a failed coup last July could be extended further after it expires this month, Erdoğan had said before the presidential referendum.
Emergency rule enables the government to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary.
