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Al-Jazeera, Qatar
Jan 28 2015
Turkey's human rights record under fire
Diplomats slam intimidation of journalists and police crackdowns on
demonstrators during universal periodic review.
28 Jan 2015 07:45 GMT
Turkey's human rights record has come under criticism at the UN, with
diplomats condemning intimidation of journalists and police crackdowns
on demonstrators.
"We are concerned about growing restrictions on freedom of expression,
including censorship of new media and the Internet, and provisions of
Turkish law that unduly limit peaceful assembly," US representative
Keith Harper told the UN Human Rights council on Tuesday.
Harper's comments came during the Universal Periodic Review of
Turkey's rights record - a process that all 193 UN member states must
undergo every four years.
Turkey has countered the criticism, insisting it has made progress in
promoting human rights and freedom of expression that are an
"indispensable" part of the country's democratic order.
"The protection and promotion of human rights is one of our priority
political objectives," Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Buelent Arinc
told the council in Geneva.
While acknowledging there were some journalists in Turkish prisons,
Arinc insisted that their detention was "not related to their
journalistic activities".
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government has fired thousands of
police along with a number of judges while pushing through legislation
that tightens state control over the internet, raising questions
inside the country and abroad as to the state of the nation's
democracy.
Egypt, meanwhile, was particularly harsh in its criticism, with its
representative Amr Ramadan lamenting the "severe deterioration in the
human rights situation in Turkey," and slamming Ankara for deadly
crackdowns on demonstrators and the jailing journalists.
"We would have wished to have seen such criticism coming from parties
who adhere to the same universal values as we do," Arinc hit back at
Egypt, which itself has jailed numerous journalists, including three
Al Jazeera staff members.
Many Egyptian protesters have also been killed in clashes with security forces.
In addition to criticism on its crackdown on journalists, Ankara was
also slammed for discriminating against minorities.
Armenia's representative Vahram Kazholyan said the government should
return "the confiscated properties of Armenians and other religious
minorities, such as places of worship, including monasteries, church
properties and religious cultural sites".
Kazholyan also called on Ankara to "fully implement the international
obligations emanating from the UN Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide".
Armenians say the Ottoman state conducted genocide against them during
World War I, leaving an estimated 1.5 million people dead.
Modern day Turkey has resisted terming the mass killings as an act of genocide.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/01/turkey-human-rights-record-fire-150128065801948.html
Jan 28 2015
Turkey's human rights record under fire
Diplomats slam intimidation of journalists and police crackdowns on
demonstrators during universal periodic review.
28 Jan 2015 07:45 GMT
Turkey's human rights record has come under criticism at the UN, with
diplomats condemning intimidation of journalists and police crackdowns
on demonstrators.
"We are concerned about growing restrictions on freedom of expression,
including censorship of new media and the Internet, and provisions of
Turkish law that unduly limit peaceful assembly," US representative
Keith Harper told the UN Human Rights council on Tuesday.
Harper's comments came during the Universal Periodic Review of
Turkey's rights record - a process that all 193 UN member states must
undergo every four years.
Turkey has countered the criticism, insisting it has made progress in
promoting human rights and freedom of expression that are an
"indispensable" part of the country's democratic order.
"The protection and promotion of human rights is one of our priority
political objectives," Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Buelent Arinc
told the council in Geneva.
While acknowledging there were some journalists in Turkish prisons,
Arinc insisted that their detention was "not related to their
journalistic activities".
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government has fired thousands of
police along with a number of judges while pushing through legislation
that tightens state control over the internet, raising questions
inside the country and abroad as to the state of the nation's
democracy.
Egypt, meanwhile, was particularly harsh in its criticism, with its
representative Amr Ramadan lamenting the "severe deterioration in the
human rights situation in Turkey," and slamming Ankara for deadly
crackdowns on demonstrators and the jailing journalists.
"We would have wished to have seen such criticism coming from parties
who adhere to the same universal values as we do," Arinc hit back at
Egypt, which itself has jailed numerous journalists, including three
Al Jazeera staff members.
Many Egyptian protesters have also been killed in clashes with security forces.
In addition to criticism on its crackdown on journalists, Ankara was
also slammed for discriminating against minorities.
Armenia's representative Vahram Kazholyan said the government should
return "the confiscated properties of Armenians and other religious
minorities, such as places of worship, including monasteries, church
properties and religious cultural sites".
Kazholyan also called on Ankara to "fully implement the international
obligations emanating from the UN Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide".
Armenians say the Ottoman state conducted genocide against them during
World War I, leaving an estimated 1.5 million people dead.
Modern day Turkey has resisted terming the mass killings as an act of genocide.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/01/turkey-human-rights-record-fire-150128065801948.html