2016.7.19

2016.7.19

news form BBC

Will Turkey's failed coup mean a return to the death penalty?

　　　penalty　【ˈpɛnəlti】　

1. punishment for breaking a rule or law
   - the company was given a severe penalty for the violation.
2. a disadvantage or difficulty you experience
   - lack of privacy is one of the penalties you pay for fame.

1.　　Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of the reforms needed to enter accession negotiations to the EU. There has been no execution here since 1984.

　　　abolish　【əˈbɑ:lɪʃ】　

• to officially end or stop something (such as a law)
  - slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century.

　　　accession　【ækˈsɛʃən】　

• the act or process by which someone rises to a powerful and important position
  - Queen Victoria's accession to the crown occurred in 1837.

2.　　There is a lot at stake for both Turkey and the EU. A refugee deal reached earlier this year has all but halted the influx of migrants from the coast of western Turkey into Greece, while Turks themselves are eyeing the possibility of visa-free travel to Europe's border-free Schengen zone in return.

　　　stake　【stek】　　　

1. if something that you value very much is at stake, you will lose it if a plan or action is not successful
   - people's lives are at stake.
   - they have to win the contract - thousands of jobs are at stake.
2. if you have a stake in a business, you have invested money in it.
   - he holds a 51% stake in the firm.
3. if you have a stake in something, you will get advantages if it is successful, and you feel that you have an important connection with it.
   - young people don't feel they have a stake in the country's future.
4. if the stakes are high when you are trying to do something, you risk losing a lot or it will be dangerous if you fail
   - climbing is a dangerous sport and the stakes are high.
   - we are playing for high stakes here.

3. In Turkey, reinstating the death penalty would require a change in the constitution, which would need the approval of 367 MPs in the parliament.

　　　constitution　【ˌkɑ:nstəˈtu:ʃn】　

1. a set of basic laws and principles that a country or organization is governed
   - the right to speak freely is written into the Constitution of the United States.
   - members of the club drafted a new constitution.
2. the physical health and condition of a person or animal
   - she's got a strong constitution - she'll recover in no time.
3. the parts or structure of something
   - what's the chemical constitution of the dye?