Europe’s human rights and security body has urged the Turkish government to respect the protests as part of a democratic process and rejected expression of demands through violence.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly President Wolfgang Grossruck said in a statement on Wednesday that his organization has been monitoring with great concern the ongoing events throughout Turkey and that the parliamentary assembly has a unique interest in these affairs as they will gather in İstanbul next week for the annual session.
He said the Turkish Parliament gave assurances that the situation in İstanbul will not hinder the meetings and debates on important global issues related to shared commitments to comprehensive security, including human rights.
Anti-government demonstrations sprouted across Turkey after May 31, when riot police brutally cracked down on peaceful environmental activists who opposed plans to remove trees and develop Gezi Park, which lies next to İstanbul's famed Taksim Square.
The crackdowns have continued since as protests have spread and attracted a range of groups unhappy with the 10-year rule of Erdoğan, whom many believe is trying to gradually impose his religious and conservative views in Turkey, which has long had a secular democracy.
Four protesters and one police officer have been killed, and Turkey's doctors association said an investigation was underway into the death of a fifth person who was exposed to tear gas. More than 7,800 people have been injured; six are in critical condition and 11 lost their eyesight after being hit by flying objects.
The president said “we stand in support of peaceful expression and assembly” and that whether demonstrators stand or sit, speak or sing, they have a basic right to assemble and freely express themselves, and it must be respected.
The OSCE also rejected the violence and said they respect the government’s duty to preserve peaceful order. “[T]hose who commit and incite vandalism and violence should receive a proportionate response from law enforcement,” Grossruck said in the statement.
“I welcome the dialogue the government entered into with several protest leaders last week and I regret that violence continued after these discussions. Mass arrests and the use of force to disrupt demonstrations are not emblematic of a democracy nor are such actions in line with Turkey’s commitments as an OSCE participating state,” the statement concluded.
TDZ