BERLIN — The Dutch government says it will look into ways of preventing people from voting in the Netherlands in a possible Turkish referendum on reintroducing the death penalty. Dirk-Jan Vermeij, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Bert Koenders, says the Dutch Cabinet “does not want this and will not facilitate it.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken of reinstating capital punishment — a move that would effectively end Ankara’s faltering bid to join the European Union — since he narrowly won expanded powers last month. Vermeij said Friday that “reintroducing the death penalty would be a break with European values and is not compatible with membership of the European Union and Council of Europe.” The Dutch statement followed a similar statement by Germany earlier in the day. The German government says it wouldn’t allow voting in Germany if Turkey holds a referendum on whether to reintroduce the death penalty. Turkish President Recep Tayy...
Striving for a World without Capital Punishment