Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2016
412. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that 11 MPs from the People's Democratic Party, HDP, and the party’s two co-chairs, were recently arrested in Turkey; his views on the dramatic escalation in the crackdown on democratic politics and civic society in Turkey; and if he will urgently raise his concern over these arrests with his Turkish counterpart. [34443/16]
View answerI am gravely concerned about the most recent developments in Turkey, in particular the detention of the co-chairs of Turkey’s second largest opposition party, HDP, and several of its elected representatives on 4 November, which was made possible by the lifting of parliamentary immunity from some 130 MPs last May. I issued a statement on 4 November, in which I expressed Ireland’s concern at the arrests and also at the intensification of the media crackdown, and I emphasised the need to uphold the fundamental principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law. My officials communicated the statement to the Turkish embassy.
While I have acknowledged that the failed coup was both an unacceptable attempt to undermine democracy and a traumatic shock for the people of Turkey, the Turkish authorities must exercise restraint and maintain a proportionate and measured response.
In addition, Ireland’s concerns are fully reflected in the EU statement issued on 8 November, in which the EU expresses its deep concern at recent developments in Turkey, in particular, the continued restrictions on freedom of expression, including media freedom, the closure of more media outlets and the arrests of the editor-in-chief and several staff members of the Cumhuriyet newspaper; renewed suggestions of reinstating the death penalty; the exacerbation of existing tensions in the south-east; and the arrests of HDP MPs. The EU statement recalls that it is crucial that parliamentary immunity is applied to all democratically elected representatives on a non-discriminatory basis.
Furthermore, developments in Turkey were discussed in the meeting of Ministers’ Deputies at the Council of Europe on 9 November, at which Turkey was represented. Ireland’s representative expressed our concern at the current situation in Turkey, and recalled that rule of law, human rights, democracy and freedom of expression are core Council of Europe values. Turkey was also discussed at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 November, where Minister of State Dara Murphy represented Ireland.
