Mr President, in the last few weeks Turkey has witnessed horror in many different forms. Most alarmingly, systematic and excessive police violence, as well as broken promises, bribery and threats.
Four people have been killed, thousands are suffering from injuries, thousands more have been detained in questionable conditions, including the lawyers that stood up for the protestors yesterday. Most of this is not reported in Turkey because of downright censorship. We have witnessed signs of increasing authoritarianism and of shrinking space for civil society and those who have chosen a different lifestyle.
Our stance is as clear as that of the protestors. Police aggression must be stopped and investigated, cultural and historic sites have to be preserved, arrested protestors must be released without charges, a dialogue and debate must take place for a healthy civil society and opposition, possibly with the help of the EEAS. Turkey has to comply with its international and European obligations.
