Foreign Ministry responds to US' human rights reports on Turkey

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that the "Turkey 2020 Human Rights Report" released by the US Department of State is "far from being objective" and contains "unfounded allegations and biased interpretations."

"This year's report again refers as the "Gülen movement" to Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which is the perpetrator of the 15 July heinous coup attempt, threatened our democracy and martyred hundreds of our citizens," says the statement. "This demonstrates that the US still fails to understand our rightful fight against this terrorist organization."

"Allegations regarding our counter-terrorism operations in Syria are unacceptable. There can be no explanation for repeating such allegations, despite the fact that they were previously rejected by Turkish authorities on various occasions.

"On the other hand, it is worth noting that while various violations of PKK/YPG are mentioned in the report, its terrorist attacks against Syrians as well as separatist actions aimed at undermining the territorial integrity of Syria are disregarded.

"It is also unacceptable that the report contains allegations which ignore the fact that PKK is a terrorist organization and amount to extending support to the claims of terror affiliated circles.

"Our country's resolve to promote and protect human rights remains firm. Two years after the publication of the Judicial Reform Strategy, the recently announced Human Rights Action Plan is a concrete example of this resolve."

The US report included the following conclusions about the situation of human rights in Turkey:

• Reports of arbitrary killings;
• Suspicious deaths of persons in custody;
• Forced disappearances;
• Torture;
• Arbitrary arrest and continued detention of tens of thousands of persons, including opposition politicians and former members of parliament, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists, and employees of the U.S. Mission, for purported ties to "terrorist" groups or peaceful legitimate speech;
• The existence of political prisoners, including elected officials;
• Politically motivated reprisal against individuals located outside the country;
• Significant problems with judicial independence;
• Severe restrictions on freedom of expression, the press, and the internet, including violence and threats of violence against journalists, closure of media outlets, and unjustified arrests or criminal prosecution of journalists and others for criticizing government policies or officials, censorship, site blocking and the existence of criminal libel laws;
• Severe restriction of freedoms of assembly, association, and movement; some cases of refoulement of refugees;
• Violence against women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons and members of other minorities.

(PT/VK)