US Says Turkey’s Actions Not In Line with Constitution

US State Department spokesman John Kirby speaks to reporters at a daily press briefing in Washington, D.C. on June 17 (Source: Cihan)

WASHINGTON (Today’s Zaman)”“US Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby has said that there are actions that Turkey is taking that the US feels do not comport with the core values mentioned in its constitution.

Kirby was grilled by journalists at a daily press briefing on Tuesday on where the US stands on the latest anti-democratic developments in Turkey, including imprisoning journalists and the recent attacks on media organizations by pro-government individuals.

Kirby said they have seen the reports about the attacks against media organizations and have called on Turkey to respect media freedoms and due process protections that are enshrined in the constitution. “They are key elements in every healthy democracy. We’re concerned by reports that the protests against the Hurriyet Daily were encouraged by members of the Justice and Development Party. Elected officials must be careful not to appear to encourage violence against media outlets,”