The ‘Bill on Preventing the Spread and Financing of Weapons of Mass Destruction’ was approved by the General Assembly of the Turkish parliament on 26 December.

The opposition in Turkey has criticised the bill which has 43 articles on the grounds that it will allow the state to appoint trustees to associations and foundations and it will also impose whistleblowing clauses to lawyers. None of the suggestions made by the opposition were taken into account by the ruling coalition parties during the discussions over the bill.

During the debates over the bill, an article of the bill regarding the law of associations was changed and the Turkish Interior Ministry was given authority to appoint trustees to associations and foundations.

One of the most controversial articles of the bill was the one relating to the imposition of whistleblowing practices to lawyers. According to an amendment in the bill, the scope in which lawyers would supply information was determined.

Following the discussions on the bill in parliament, it was approved in the General Assembly .