EU urges Turkey to respect freedom of expression
The European Union has criticized Turkey for its crackdown on the press, urging Ankara to respect democracy and freedom of expression.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Monday censured Turkey’s recent seizure of the daily newspaper Zaman; however, she said that Ankara has begun to heed calls on adhering to basic rights concerning freedom of speech.
Mogherini said before a joint summit of EU and Turkish leaders in Brussels that Ankara must “respect the highest standards when it comes to democracy, rule of law, fundamental freedoms starting from the freedom of expression.”
Turkish authorities stormed the headquarters of Zaman, the country’s largest-circulation daily, on Friday to enforce a court ruling to place it and its subsidiary outlets under the management of trustees. The crackdown sparked massive protests across Turkey for two days with police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry crowds.
Many began to call on the EU to pile up more pressure on Turkey over the paper's seizure, saying the continental body must act despite needing Ankara’s cooperation to stem the flow of refugees into Europe.
Earlier in the day, leaders of France and Belgium also expressed similar concerns over freedom of speech in Turkey and called on Ankara to guarantee the safety of journalists and media activists.
French President Francois Hollande said the EU will remain vigilant on press freedom in Turkey even in the midst of discussions on refugees.
“Cooperating with Turkey doesn't mean we should not be extremely vigilant about press freedom. And I am,” Hollande said upon his arrival in Brussels for a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
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