On 20 July 2016, five days after an attempted coup, the government declared a state of emergency "(Turkish: Olağanüstü Hal, OHAL)", allowing ministers to rule the country by decree, bypassing parliament and limiting certain civil freedoms. The government have frequently been criticised for violating the constitutional limits of a state of emergency, using it as an excuse for governing without any political opposition. Since 2016, the state of emergency has been extended for the sixth time, with parliament voting to extend it by a further three months on 18 January 2018. The extension led to speculation that the election would occur under state of emergency conditions, similar to the controversial 2017 constitutional referendum.