Agency Report –
If Europe and Germany are interested in cooperating with Turkey on defence, “then Europe and Germany should be interested that the country at least adheres to the most basic rules: respecting election results and showing a certain degree of respect for democracy,” Sinclair-Webb said.
“This year we have witnessed the most serious attack on Turkish democracy,” the rights expert continued, noting that the largest opposition party, the CHP, is facing a myriad of court cases brought by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Investigations into detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a popular CHP politician considered to be a viable challenger to Erdoğan in future presidential elections, are not just targeting him but the entire party, according to Sinclair-Webb.
She also denounced repressions against the media as well as discrimination of the queer community, tendencies which she said could intensify.
Turkey should not be allowed to get away with the “complete destruction of democracy” with impunity, said the HRW representative.
Merz is set to travel to Ankara on Wednesday where he is set to meet with Erdoğan on Thursday, but he currently has no plans to also meet with opposition politicians, despite a new arrest warrant issued against İmamoğlu this week. The deposed mayor has been in custody since March.
