Int’l community, Washington, Moscow stand in strong solidarity with Republic of Turkey
MESOP : HAARETZ THIS MORNING : FIRST PLANE FROM ISTANBUL AIRPORT STARTED TO TEL AVIV
ERDOGAN NO STRONGER AS EVER / SUPPORT FROM ALL SIDES
ANKARA – 16 July 2016 – Hurriyet – World powers and the international community have extended messages of strong solidarity with the people of Turkey in the face of the threat that the country’s democratic institutions and the constitutional order have been facing. NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg said in a written statement “I have just spoken to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. I am following events in Turkey closely and with concern. I call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution. Turkey is a valued NATO Ally.” Another message of solidarity to the people of Turkey on the situation in the country came from Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Thorbjørn Jagland, in the form of an emailed statement.
“Any attempt to overthrow the democratically elected leaders in Turkey is unacceptable in a member state of the Council of Europe, which defends democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” said Jagland of the CoE, an intergovernmental organization defending human rights and comprising of 47 nations, including EU states, Turkey and Russia. Elsewhere, U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that all parties in Turkey should support the democratically-elected government of Turkey while Kremlin expressed its grave concerns over the recent developments. “The President spoke tonight by phone with Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the events in Turkey. The President and Secretary agreed that all parties in Turkey should support the democratically-elected Government of Turkey, show restraint, and avoid any violence or bloodshed,” read the readout issued by the White House early July 16. In a phone call to Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Kerry emphasized “absolute support for Turkey’s civilian government and democratic institutions”. The Secretary underscored that the State Department will continue to focus on the safety and security of U.S. citizens in Turkey.
The Kremlin said it was gravely concerned about events in Turkey, and that it had instructed officials to help Russian nationals in Turkey return home at the earliest opportunity. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that President Vladimir Putin was being kept constantly updated on the situation in Turkey, where the government has said a military coup attempt is underway. Peskov said events were moving too fast to fully understand what was happening, but he said Russia was concerned and wanted to see Turkey return to the path of stability and order, and for there to be a lawful outcome.
He said that, whoever was now in charge in Turkey, it was incumbent on them to ensure the safety of Russian nationals. The European Union has joined calls for “restraint” after the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.“In constant contact with EU Delegation in Ankara & Brussels from Mongolia. Call for restraint and respect for democratic institutions #Turkey,” the EU’s High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, tweeted from a regional summit in Ulan Bator.
“Brussels will be watching with deep concern the events in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success,” said Mogherini.