Stefan Füle slams Turkey for police crackdown on protestors
Stefan Füle, the EU enlargement commissioner told an audience in the İstanbul Conference on EU organized by the Turkish EU Ministry on Friday that people have the right to engage in peaceful demonstrations in democratic societies. He also said there was no place for police brutality in democracies.
Füle who spoke to the audience including Turkish PM Tayyip ERDOĞAN said a “rapid and transparent” investigation was needed.
Füle went on to say both Turkey and the EU were bound to avoid everything that would undermine basic values such as “freedom and fundamental rights” and called on Turkey not to give up on these values.
Füle making quite clear that he had been disturbed about the latest incidents also said “Before speaking about our common future, we should speak about the present. The duty of us all is to aspire the highest possible standards in terms of freedom of expression and media. Democracy requires compromise and debate”.
Füle also expressed that he imagined a Turkey which was more democratic with “peaceful coexistence of different lifestyles.”
The EU enlargement commissioner also referred to the settlement/peace process and said he appreciated Turkey’s efforts for peace with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the progress Ankara made in the EU process especially after the implementation of the “positive agenda.”
08.06.2013
SOURCE: MEDIA
