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Turkey has long stood as an example in the Western World: the country had made some crucial steps towards reform and tried to encourage true democratization in the Middle-East. Today, the assessment after the failed July coup is damning. More than 120,000 people were fired or suspended from the military, judiciary and academia and more than 55 Newspapers and 16 Television broadcasters have been closed following the request of the government. And the prisons are filling with political prisoners. Moreover, a few days ago the President Erdogan has announced that the government would as soon as possible submit a bill to the Parliament to reinstate the death penalty for crimes including treason. It should be pointed out that capital punishment has not been carried out in Turkey since 1984 and that it has been outlawed in 2004. Furthermore, the abolition of death penalty is considered to be a principle of fundamental justice in Europe and is one of the conditions for accession of the candidate countries to the EU. Yet, the relations between Turkey and the EU are already very complicated. Despite this an agreement -not very clear- has been reached to restrict the flow of refugees to Europe. However, the purge -without limit- undertaken by the Turkish regime, and in particular by the Pt of Turkey, could be the final blow for the rapprochement between Turkey and the EU. Today, the conclusion is very clear: the current leadership is moving Turkey away from liberal democracy towards authoritarianism.

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