Socialist International condemns government

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Socialist International (SI) has roundly criticized the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for its allegedly repressive policies and lack of respect for the freedom of expression in a declaration issued during a meeting in Costa Rica.

“The AKP’s authoritarian, repressive and anti – democratic policies were strongly condemned in the declaration. As we can see, the mask has been thrown off, and the whole world is voicing its unease over the AKP’s repressive regime,” said Umut Oran, an Istanbul deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP,) who also attended the meeting.

The declaration, unveiled in the Costa Rican capital San Jose at a two day meeting of the Socialist International that represents some 162 political parties from across the globe, also criticized a recent probe against Kılıçdaroğlu.

“[Socialist International] condemns the decision of the Turkish judiciary to launch a probe against Mr Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu,” read the statement. “SI recognizes this move by the public prosecutor is the last part of a long term of oppression on any dissenting voice since 2007,” it added.

The government’s policies of repression have affected a wide ranging set of individuals, ranging from villagers opposing the construction of dams to students demanding free education, while over 90 journalists have been placed behind bars according to the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD,) the declaration said.

Socialist International called on the Turkish government to show respect for the independence of the judiciary. “Following the referendum of Sept. 12, 2010, supported also by many of our friends in Europe, which claimed to make judiciary more independent and its composition more representative, the judiciary only became more linked to the government,” SI said in the statement.