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The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
has reproached his U.S. counterpart over four different statements that
had come from Washington criticizing the police crackdown on Turkish
protestors. Davutoğlu expressed his reaction to U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry saying, “These sorts of incidents happen everywhere and they
are considered unexceptional. Then why are they regarded extraordinary
when happening in Turkey?” Following the fourth statement from Washington since last week, most recently on Tuesday from Vice President Joe Biden urging Turkey’s government to respect the rights of its political opponents, the Turkish foreign minister had Tuesday called his U.S. counterpart by phone to respond to criticisms over a violent crackdown against anti-government protesters.
The minister told Kerry about the nationwide demonstrations in Turkey, and said, “There is not a second class democracy in Turkey,” a Turkish diplomat told the Hürriyet Daily News.
“In democracies, these protests may happen. There is a right to demonstrations in Turkey. We respect peaceful demonstrators, but there are ones who abuse,” Davutoğlu told Kerry, citing those harming public property, according to the diplomat.
The minister recalled the protests on Wall Street in the U.S and said similar incidents were regarded as ordinary, but the ones in Turkey were considered extraordinary.
- On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin said they hoped the Turkish government could “find a solution to problems, which are not easy, set forth by opposition and civic society.”
- Those protests would be discussed on legitimate platforms in such a way that people would hear each other, said Putin.
June/05/2013
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Related:
Έρευνα για τα επεισόδια στην Τουρκία ζητά ο ΥΠΕΞ των ΗΠΑ
Davuoğlu'ndan, ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Kerry'e Gezi Parkı yanıtı....'İkinci sınıf demokrasi değiliz'....
Protest in Constantinople...... TURKISH RIOTS LIVE RT..... Gezi Parkı olaylarında son durum
Kerry speaks with Turkish FM Davutoglu about protests .....
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Biden urges Turkey to respect rights of protesters .....
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON - US Vice President Joe Biden urged Turkey's government on Tuesday to respect the rights of its political opponents after a violent crackdown against anti-government protesters raised concerns about the NATO ally.
Biden, speaking to the American-Turkish Council, said Turkey stands a chance to reach its goal of becoming one of the world's 10 largest economies by 2023 but that it should not stray from democracy.
"Turkey's future belongs to the people of Turkey and no one else. But the United States does not pretend to be indifferent to the outcome," Biden said.
Countries with open societies, political systems and economies, democratic institutions and a firm commitment to universal human rights are the countries that will thrive and be the most powerful countries of the 21st century, he said.
"Today's Turkey has a chance to demonstrate that there's no need to choose between economic advancement and democracy, the system that empowers the winners of elections and yet protects those who are in the opposition," said Biden.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Biden-urges-Turkey-to-respect-rights-of-protesters-315480
5/6/13
US Vice-President Joe Biden said 'Turkey does not need to make a choice between economic prosperity and democracy'....
ReplyDeleteWashington DC
US Vice-President Joe Biden said that he had "no doubts on Turkey's course" in his comments Tuesday on Gezi Park protests which started in reaction to a construction project inTaksim's Gezi Park in Istanbul and quickly spiraled into nation-wide demonstrations against the government.
Speaking at the 32nd conference of Turkish-American Council, Turkey' American Friends, Turkish-American Business Council and Foreign Economic Relations Board, with the participation of Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister for economy Ali Babacan, Biden said, Gezi Park events caused world-wide worries including the US.
Biden said the US defends freedom of gathering, freedom and independence of press, and non-violence by the state and the protesters in such conditions.
"Only Turks can solve their own problems. The US cannot seem indifferent to the outcome because we believe that only countries that have an open society, political systems and economy and those who are strongly committed to universal human rights will thrive and become most powerful nations in the world," he said.
Biden said the US was ready to help Turkey to secure a safer, more prosperous and a more democratic future, adding, Turkey was "a rising power promised hope for everyone."
"Today's Turkey has the chance to show that it does not need to make a choice between economic prosperity and democracy, between a system authorizing the election-winners and a system protecting the opposition," he said.
- Turkish-American relations
Biden stated the reason behind Turkey's economic success in the last 10 years was that the country had yielded the benefits of moving towards being a more politically open nation, pointing out that Turkey had become the 17th largest economy of the world, its inflation decreased to 6 per cent, and in May 2013, it paid off its debt to International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Reminding that Turkey and the US established Economic and Commercial Strategic Cooperation mechanism in 2009 which carried the bilateral trade volume to $20 billion, increasing it by 75 percent, Biden expressed that Turkey had $1 billion investment in the US, while US investments in Turkey amounted some $5 billion.
Saying that those figures were insufficient, Biden listed technology, pharmaceutical industry, energy sectors as potential areas of cooperation between the two nations.
Regarding free trade agreement negotiations between the US and the European Union (EU), Biden said, "When the time is ripe, we will be able to carry our trade relations with Turkey to the next stage."
Emphasizing on defense cooperation between Turkey and the US as being two NATO allies, Biden said, "As the world changed, so did the scope of our cooperation", listing G-20, struggle with global terrorism, several Middle Eastern affairs including two-state solution for Israeli-Palestinian dispute, a successful transformation process in Egypt, a democratic, multi-ethnic and non-sectarian Syria with strong institutions and non-nuclear power Iran as areas of current cooperation.
"We had differences of opinion about Israel with Turkey, however now Turkey understands our full commitment to Israel's security and existence" said Biden, expressed the US gratitude for "re-establishing the strategic relations between Turkey and Israel."
http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/190004--us-vice-president-says-has-no-doubts-on-turkeys-course
5/6/13