Turkish parliament approves controversial security examination bill

The Turkish parliament has approved a new bill that gives security agencies the right to investigate civil servants.

The approval came, despite rejection of the same bill by the highest court in Turkey.

The bill was drafted following the presumed 2016 coup attempt. It makes it necessary for all civil servants to pass a security examination.

On November 29, 2019, the Turkish Constitutional Court demanded the cancellation of the obligatory security examination for civil servants. It did this at the request of 100 members of the Republican People’s Party. The examination, the members said, violates basic political freedoms.

The security examination is usually carried out by the Turkish intelligence and local authorities.