NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed the importance of democratic rights, including the right to hold demonstrations and media freedom, in the face of Turkey’s recent crackdown on dissidents ahead of this week’s summit in Ankara.
Background
Turkey will host leaders from the 32 allied countries, as well as officials from NATO’s partners, in Ankara for a summit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Authorities have stepped up security across the capital, banning demonstrations, erecting barricades, and closing roads.
On Sunday, more than 100 people were detained in protest marches organised by leftist parties and groups, while 103 others were arrested as part of anti-terror raids in Ankara. Rutte noted that democracy requires more than elections alone, and that the right to organise demonstrations is essential.
Western countries, namely Ankara’s NATO allies, have grown silent over concerns about human rights and freedoms in Turkey in recent years. Some critics of President Tayyip Erdogan’s government say that this has enabled an authoritarian shift, weakened Turkey’s opposition, and overlooked NATO’s founding principles of democracy and rule of law.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
