The Death Penalty in the OSCE Area–Background Paper 2018 United States President Donald J. Trump repeatedly claimed that introduction of capital punishment for drug dealers is an effective solution for the opioid crisis.101 In March 2018, the White House announced Trump’s initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand, whereby the Department of Justice is instructed to “seek the death penalty in drug trafficking cases, where appropriate under current law.”102 2. Abolitionist participating States In the OSCE region, 52 of the 57 participating States are classified as abolitionists, meaning that the death penalty has been abolished for all crimes, in law and in practice. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the 52 abolitionist states, although the Constitution of the Republika Srpska still provides for capital punishment. In a resolution issued at the Parliamentary Assembly on 24 January 2018, the Council of Europe called upon Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt amendments to the Constitution of Republika Srpska, as it still provides for the death penalty, even though capital punishment is not applied in practice.103 On 17 April 2017, after Turkish voters backed a constitutional referendum, Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, told supporters that he would “immediately discuss the reinstatement of capital punishment with his Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, and the leader of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli”, according to public sources.104 It is also reported that he suggested holding a referendum on reinstating the death penalty.105 On 15 July 2017, Erdogan made a statement in Istanbul that he would not hesitate to introduce capital punishment should the parliament back it.106 On 17 July 2017, the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, warned against Turkey re-imposing the death penalty, stating that “the move would slam the door to EU membership”.107 He delivered 101  “Remarks by President Trump on Combatting the Opioid Crisis”, the White House, 19 March 2018, <https:// www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-combatting-opioid-crisis/>. 102  “President Donald J. Trump’s Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand”, op. cit., note 11. 103  “Resolution 2201 (2018): The honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina”, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, 24 January 2018, <http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=24465&lang=en>. 104  “Turkey’s next referendum could reintroduce the death penalty, Erdogan says”, Newsweek, 17 April 2017, <https://www.newsweek.com/turkey-referendum-death-penalty-erdogan-eu-membership-585065>. 105  Newsweek and Euroactive with AFP, op. cit., note 11. 106  Ibid. 107  “Juncker: Death penalty will end Turkey’s EU bid”, EUobserver, 17 July 2017, <https://euobserver.com/enlargement/138545>. 23