Ashton expresses EU’s ‘deep concern’ at violence in Turkey
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is expressing deep concern at the violence that occurred in Istanbul and some other cities in Turkey, and regrets disproportionate use of force by members of the Turkish police, her spokesperson said on June 2 2013.
Ashton “hopes for a speedy recovery of all those injured, and calls for restraint on all sides and an end to the violence. Dialogue should be opened to find a peaceful solution to this issue,” the spokesperson said.
Bulgaria is closely monitoring the events of recent days in Turkey, our neighbouring country and a friend, Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin said.
“We are concerned about the violence and express our concern about the excessive use of force by police against the protesters,” Vigenin said in a June 2 statement.
On May 31, a spokesperson for the US state department said that Washington was concerned about the number of people who were injured when police dispersed protesters in Istanbul’s Gezi Park.
“We believe that Turkey’s long-term stability, security, and prosperity is best guaranteed by upholding the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, which is what it seems these individuals were doing. These freedoms are crucial to any healthy democracy,” the state department spokesperson said.
(Photo: EC Audiovisual Service)
