France’s FM rankles Turkey with state of ‘emergency’ comments

Ankara urged to abide by the rule of law

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (center), holds a flower as he visits a part of the Turkish parliament building that was damaged

during the July 15 failed coup attempt in Ankara on Oct 24. (AFP) ANKARA, Oct 24, (Agencies): Visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Monday defended Turkey’s post-coup state of emergency but rankled his hosts when he appeared to criticise how it was being implemented.

“Regarding the state of emergency, Turkey has every right to defend and protect itself. It is (Ankara’s) decision to extend the state of emergency as we also have extended ours,” Ayrault said at a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“The only thing we can repeat is our committment to the rule of law, our committment to fundamental freedoms,” said Ayrault, the highest ranking French official to visit Turkey since the July coup bid.

Turkey’s Western allies have voiced concern over the unprecedented crackdown by the authorities since the attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and urged Ankara to abide by the rule of law.

Tens of thousands of people working in the judiciary, media, education and military have been detained, suspended or sacked for suspected links to the movement of the Islamic preacher accused of ordering the July 15 failed putsch.

Over 35,000 people have been arrested since July, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said at the weekend, while 82,000 people have been investigated over alleged links to the cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet group.

Ankara initially imposed a three-month state of emergency after the coup bid and extended it for another 12 weeks earlier this month to tackle what it describes as an extraordinary threat.

In July, Ayrault had warned Erdogan not to use the failed coup as a “blank cheque” to silence his opponents, to which the Turkish president told him to “mind his own business”.

On Monday, he appeared to annoy Cavusoglu when he said there was a difference between the states of emergency in Turkey and in France, which imposed its measures in the wake of the November 2015 terror attacks.

“In France, the state of emergency does not allow for the transfer of legislative power to the executive. Parliament retains all powers of lawmaking and the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed fully,” Ayrault said.

Cavusoglu hit back, insisting: “For us, there is no difference between Turkey’s state of emergency and France’s state of emergency. Their scope and objectives are the same: targeting terrorist organisations.”

Ayrault said during a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara that France understands Turkey’s need to pursue the perpetrators of the failed July 15 coup attempt and did not underestimate the threat posed by the coup-plotters. But, he said, the country must respect the rule of law.

Turkey declared a 90-day state of emergency and began a massive crackdown on a movement led by a US-based Muslim cleric it accuses of orchestrating the failed coup. The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, has denied involvement.

The state of emergency, which was extended this month by another 90 days, allows the government to rule by decrees and authority to detain suspects for up to 30 days and limit their access to lawyers.

Ayrault said: “We must reiterate our attachment to the rule of law, to fundamental rights, the right for all to benefit from a fair trial and to defend these rights with the support of lawyers.”

Turkey frequently cites a state of emergency that was declared in France, following terror attacks there, to defend its decision to extend emergency powers.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday there was no difference between the two countries’ emergency declarations — a claim Ayrault refuted saying the French model did not undercut legislative powers and guaranteed “the independence of justice.” France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (left), speaks during a joint news conference with Turkey’s Foreign Minister

Mevlut Cavusoglu following their meeting in Ankara on Oct 24. (AFP)