John has condemned new crackdowns on political opposition and civil dissent in recent months in Turkey and urged the Turkish authorities to “take meaningful steps” to improve standards in the field of democracy, rule of law and human rights.
It was set out in his report debated by the Council of Europe on 22nd October. Investigations and prosecutions targeted local politicians, members and former members of parliament, members of opposition political parties and lawyers. Continued undue pressure was also exerted on journalists, civil society activists and other groups.
In its resolution, the Standing Committee of the Council listed a detailed series of steps it expected the authorities to take in three different areas – the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
The parliamentarians who debated the report said that they remained confident of the ability of the Turkish people and authorities to address and redress the deficiencies in the field of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, provided there is a strong and genuine political will to do so. John also praised Turkey’s vibrant civil and political society, which is genuinely committed to democracy.
John discussed this with Mediabox's Jim Gibbons saying that it is important to keep talking with the authorities to bring things back into line with Council of Europe standards. More details: https://pace.coe.int/en/news/8067
