Eurasia Press & News
In comments on an ongoing crisis in Turkish Parliament following two opposition parties’ refusal to take their parliamentary oath, the European Commission said the commission is following the situation closely and with concern.
A statement released by the office of Stefan Füle, EU commissioner for enlargement, said Turkey will have to deal in the near future with important challenges, which will require the inclusion of all democratic forces. “All sides must contribute to guaranteeing its integrity and its good functioning, and we trust that all involved are committed to working towards addressing the issues and moving forward,” the statement said.
The statement also underscored that the current confusion has its origins in the fact that people are being kept in detention for excessive periods of time pending trial or are convicted for things they have said while giving speeches. “These are flaws which we have consistently highlighted in our progress reports, and which undermine fundamental rights such as freedom of expression or the right to effective judicial guarantees. We hope the next government will address these concerns through amending the legal framework,” the statement said.
