Erdogan says Turkey emergency rule to continue

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said emergency rule, government decrees and dismissals of staff suspected of links to last July’s attempted coup will continue until “everything settles down,” NTV and other news channels reported on Thursday. Emergency rule was imposed in Turkey after the failed putsch on July 15, enabling the government to bypass parliament in enacting new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary. Erdogan was speaking to reporters on his airplane on his return from a visit to Pakistan. Turks will vote on April 16 on a constitutional reform sharply boosting the president’s powers.