US urges fair, transparent probe into detained Turkish police chiefs

WASHINGTON

Harf said Washington was closely following the developments in Turkey.

Washington has again called for “fair, transparent and democratic” investigations into more than 100 police officers and chiefs who have been detained after leading graft probes into government figures late last year.

“We are closely following these developments, and I understand they’re related to the ongoing corruption investigations in Turkey, including the recent arrest of some 100 police officials,” Marie Harf, deputy spokesperson for the State Department, said during a daily press briefing July 23.

“We have repeatedly said that any investigation should be conducted in a fair, transparent, and democratic manner. We have, in the past, made clear concerns about Turkey’s due process and effective access to justice, and we’ll continue talking to the Turks about it,” she said.

“We continue to support the Turkish people’s desire for a judicial system that meets the highest standards of fairness, timeliness, and transparency. Obviously that’s something we care very deeply about,” Harf said.

Responding to a question over Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks that he had not been able to directly talk to U.S. President Barack Obama on the phone in recent times, Harf said U.S. State Secretary John Kerry was in direct contact with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

“Obviously, for the president’s conversations, the White House can speak mostly – or best to that. In terms of the secretary’s conversations, obviously he speaks all the time with Foreign Minister Davutoğlu. He spoke with him twice yesterday [July 22] and spoke with him a number of times over the last few days as well. So we have an ongoing dialogue,” she said.

Erdoğan said a cold wind blowing between himself and Obama has been hindering direct communication between the pair for some time.

“In the past, I was calling him [Obama] directly. But because I can’t get the expected results on Syria, our foreign ministers are now talking to each other. And I have talked to [Vice President Joe] Biden. He calls me; I call him. I expect justice in this process. I couldn’t imagine such a thing from those who are not endeavoring for justice,” Erdoğan said in a televised interview late July 21.