“Democracy, freedom and the rule of law,” have “absolutely no value any longer,” declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a meeting with local leaders that was televised, reported DW.

“Those who stand on our side in the fight against terrorism are our friend. Those on the opposite side, are our enemy,” said the President, adding that the fight against terrorism is the country’s highest priority, trumping democracy and the rule of law.

The statements come several days after the Turkish President announced that he would broaden the definition of “terrorism” to include those who use social media and other outlets to “support” or “praise” terrorism.

Last week, a car bomb in Turkey’s capital city of Ankara left at least 37 dead and 75 wounded. The explosion occurred in central areas of the city and comes after  a number of bomb attacks that have rocked Turkey’s capital, the most deadly of which was an attack against a peace demonstration in October which killed 103 people.

---

Subscribe to our newsletter

---