The EU should consult with us before making claims: Turkish FM

ANKARA

Davutoğlu held a meeting with Füle in Brussels late April 1, on the sidelines of a foreign minister meeting of NATO. AA Photo

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has urged the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle to ask for Turkey’s view before making statements about the ongoing ban on accessing Twitter and YouTube in Turkey.

Davutoğlu held a meeting with Füle in Brussels late April 1, on the sidelines of a foreign minister meeting of NATO.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Davutoğlu said he voiced Tukey’s concerns and convictions concerning Füle’s statements on the bans of Twister and YouTube, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

“Davutoğlu spoke to the press following the meeting, which took place upon Füle’s request, stating he conveyed to Füle that having consultations with Turkey would be useful before making these kinds of statements,” Anadolu reported.

Davutoğlu reiterated how Turkey views the issue regarding YouTube as a matter of national security, the agency said.

The Agency, however, did not report a comment from Davutoğlu in regards to Füle’s response to such advice of making consultations with Turkey.

The EU officials who were approached by Hürriyet Daily News on April 2 were not yet available for comment.

Davutoğlu, meanwhile, also said the leaked audio files, which revealed a top secret conversation between him, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head Hakan Fidan and Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, was not brought to the agenda during the NATO meeting.

“Turkey’s solemnity on these issues is known by everyone in NATO. Up until now, nobody has stated a conviction about the matters that were leaked. The statements we made were particularities that are sufficient and explicative for everybody. None of my colleagues, in any way, have felt the need to declare their opinion on these issues,” Davutoğlu was quoted as saying by Anadolu.

As of March 27, only days to go to the local elections held in Turkey on March 30, Turkey banned YouTube after the Google-owned video-sharing website was used to spread damaging leaked audio files from a state security meeting debating possible military action in Syria.

It came days after Turkey’s telecommunications authority blocked access to the U.S. social network Twitter on March 20, under orders from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after members of the opposition used it to post telephone recordings implicating him in a major corruption scandal.