Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatens to reinstate the death penalty in the country, and continues to attack press freedom, according to Le Monde daily of France.

“Had a symbol been necessary to show to what extent Erdoğan is ready to distance his country from Europe after the unrest [in Turkey] on July 15, the reinstatement of the death penalty would serve this very notorious example.

“Erdoğan’s persistence on the death penalty issue when he knows to what extent this is unacceptable for the EU, shows his wish to reject European values.

“The death penalty was abolished [in Turkey] in 2004, to comply with EU law,” wrote Le Monde.