Turkey slams US statement on Osman Kavala: ‘Turkey is a state of law’

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Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a recent call by the US Department of State for Osman Kavala's immediate release.

Referring to another statement released by the Unites States (US) in late July 2020, Hami Aksoy, the Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, has stated, "We would like to remind you that this second statement with the same content also conflicts with the principle of rule of law."

CLICK - US State Department calls on Turkey to release Kavala

Ned Price, the Spokesperson for the US State Department, released a written statement about the continued imprisonment of businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala yesterday (February 10).

In his statement addressed to Turkey, the Spokesperson called on the country to immediately release Osman Kavala, to enforce the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgements and to ensure a just, transparent and speedy resolution of the case.

'It is an unprincipled, inconsistent approach'

Releasing a written statement on the official website of the ministry against this backdrop, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hami Aksoy has said that "the judicial processes carried out by independent courts are still ongoing and everyone must respect these processes."

Noting that "the enforcement of the ECtHR judgement on Kavala is supervised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at their human rights meetings," Aksoy has said that "the government of Turkey has been offering the necessary information within this framework."

Concluding the statement, Aksoy has said, "Turkey is a state of law. No state or person can give orders to Turkish courts about judicial proceedings."

Aksoy has also referred to the requested extradition of Fethullah Gülen from the US. Referring to Gülen as the "head of FETÖ", which is held accountable for the military coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Aksoy has slammed the US for "using legal process as an excuse not to extradite Gülen."

"It is an unprincipled and inconsistent approach to expend efforts to interfere in an ongoing legal process in Turkey," he has added.

What did Ned Price say?

In his press release about the issue, Price said:

"The United States again calls on Turkey to immediately release Osman Kavala from detention. The specious charges against Kavala, his ongoing detention, and the continuing delays in the conclusion of his trial, including through the merger of cases against him, undermine respect for the rule of law and democracy. We urge Turkey to abide by the European Court of Human Rights' rulings and ensure a just, transparent, and speedy resolution to the case in line with its domestic laws and international obligations.

"We also note with concern U.S. citizen Dr. Henri Barkey's inclusion in these unwarranted court proceedings. We believe the charges against Dr. Barkey to be baseless, and we call on Turkey to resolve his case in a just, transparent, and rapid manner." (SD)