Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus on Monday said the National Security Council had recommended extending the state of emergency, set to expire on April 19, "to provide the continuance of measures aimed at securing the rights and freedoms of citizens."

Parliament is to meet on Tuesday to vote on the recommendation.

It will be the third extension of the state of emergency in Turkey since it was initially imposed following a failed coup attempt by a group within the military in July 2016.

The decision enables the government to bypass parliament in enacting new decrees.

The move to extend the state of emergency follows the government's referendum win on Sunday to amend Turkey's constitution and grant the country's presidential office sweeping new executive powers.

The "Yes" campaign won with 51.4 percent of the vote with 100 percent of ballots counted, according to unofficial results.

Birol Akgun, a political scientist, told Al Jazeera that the ruling AK Party now faces expectations following the vote to fulfil its promises of stability and security, and to implement changes following a divisive campaign.

"The government should focus on structural changes that will complement this constitutional reform. These range from the disappearance of the prime minister post to the restructuring of the executive, legislative and judiciary branches. This needs to be done through a dialogue with the opposition parties and the civil society at large," said Akgun.
Bringing back the death penalty will be at the center of public debate in the coming days. President Erdogan says he will approve it if the parliament agrees to it.

Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Ankara, said that the ruling AK party is expected to invite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to re-join its ranks in about two weeks time.

The invitation "could pave the way for Erdogan to once again lead the party he founded 16 years ago," she said.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) demanded that the High Electoral Board (YSK) annul the referendum results, after the YSK decided on the day of the referendum to count "unsealed" paper ballots - those not given an official stamp.

Anti-Erdogan protesters on Monday took to the streets of Istanbul - one of three major cities where Erdogan did not win a majority in Sunday's referendum - and other cities, carrying "No" campaign signs.

The head of Turkey's electoral board, however, defended the vote-counting process and said that the referendum's results were valid.

PHOTO CAPTION

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during an opening ceremony in Aksaray, Turkey, February 10, 2017. REUTERS

Al-Jazeera