Turkey to lift capital punishment during wartime

Turkey had signed Article 6 of the agreement on Jan. 15, 2003, lifting capital punishment during peacetime, and had officially approved it on Dec. 12, 2003. Turkey became one of the last European Council members to sign the agreement. It had long been a divisive issue between Strasbourg and Ankara.

Turkey, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are among the countries that are yet to sign Article 13.

The European Council had opened the articles for members’ signatures on May 3, 2002. The European Council wants to make Europe a capital punishment free area.

The U.S. and Japan, who attend the proceedings under observer status, are also under pressure from the European Council to lift capital punishment.