Biden in Turkey: Holding the Line on Human Rights


Date posted: August 23, 2016

This week, Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Turkey to meet with President Erdogan and Prime Minister Yildirim. This is one of the last opportunities for the Obama Administration to emphasize face-to-face how important it is to honor human rights and rule of law in the wake of the attempted coup of July 15. 

Since the attempted coup, Erdogan has overseen a sweeping crackdown on journalists, judges, civil servants, and educational institutions—all of which he alleges had connections to the Gulen movement, which purportedly sponsored the coup. However, the vast extent of the arrests, media outlet shut downs, and judge firings indicate that Erdogan may be seeing ghosts where there are none.

Over 3000 judges have been fired, and nearly 40,000 other workers have been detained, leading to grave questions about the state of rule of law in the country. Last week Turkey had to release thousands of prisoners simply to make room for all of the new political detainees. This week, Turkey recalled hundreds of diplomats alleged to have links to the coup. More than a hundred media outlets have been shut down, nearly 1300 educational institutions closed, and nearly 80 journalists detained, including those that were simply critical of the government, but clearly not Gulenist.

When Biden is in Turkey, he should emphasize the need for Erdogan to maintain credibility in order to prevent a backlash in response to rights violations.

Turkey has also begun to question its role as a temporary host to refugees fleeing violence in Syria. Biden will undoubtedly discuss with Erdogan joint concerns over developments in Syria, including unrelenting violence in Aleppo. Biden should reiterate Turkey’s important role as a host to refugees and urge Turkey to stop blocking Syrian refugees from crossing into safety in Turkey, stranding them in unsafe border areas. Biden should make clear that blocking access to safety for refugees, or sending them back to Syria, violates international law. Hosting refugees is central to the global community’s objectives to manage the crisis, alleviate migration challenges, and promote greater security in the region.

Biden should also address what happens to refugees once they reach Turkey. Many refugee children are unable to access education, and adults are prevented from working. The United States should consider offering its own funding to support greater access to education for refugee and migrant children, and Biden should consider making this offer during his visit.

The United States could also include increased funding for scholarships to U.S. universities for students from Turkey, including refugees. Biden should finally try to persuade Turkey to adjust its new work authorization rule for refugees, to allow all refugees (including Syrian refugees) to obtain work authorization, removing its 10 percent cap on Syrian employment.

Erdogan has sought to extradite Fetullah Gulen from the United States based on his belief that Gulen is the mastermind behind the failed coup. Biden must make clear that the United States will require credible evidence of this link before it considers extraditing Gulen, and that if extradition proceeds, the United States will work with the OSCE and U.N. bodies (such as Special Rapporteurs) to make sure that all proceedings, including any trial in Turkey, are completely fair, transparent, and meet due process standards.

Turkey is an important NATO ally, and until recently seemed intent on a path toward E.U. membership, even considering modifications to its anti-terror law to bring it into greater compliance with E.U. human rights standards in exchange for E.U. funds to assist with refugee temporary settlement.

Biden should remind Erdogan of the benefits of NATO and the European Union, including the greater economic opportunities available to Turkey from this community, and encourage him to stay the course. He should encourage Erdogan and his administration to work in partnership with U.S., E.U., and NATO institutions to ensure his country’s prosperity and security.

Source: Human Rights First , August 22, 2016


Related News

Erdogan vows for genocide of Gulen sympathizers: “We will not give them the right to life!”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been waging a relentless war against followers of the faith-based Gülen movement in Turkey for the past several years, has said Gülen movement sympathizers in the country will not enjoy the right to life.

Offensive launched against Hizmet-affiliated schools in Antalya

The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, which earlier changed the zoning plans of schools in the province affiliated with the faith-based Hizmet movement in compliance with a call made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in June, is to make a final decision on the fate of the schools following deliberation by the municipal commission on zoning and public works.

Pro-Rashid Dostum Afghan security forces raided Afghan-Turk Boys High School in Shibirghan

An Afghan-Turk Boys High School was raided by the Afghan security forces under the command of Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum, controversial First Vice President of Afghanistan, early Saturday morning and detained Turkish teachers, dozens of students and their parents in order to seize the school at the request of Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan.

Police raids Şifa University hospitals in gov’t-led intimidation operation, report says

The police have conducted raids on nine hospitals of şifa University for the purpose of shutting down the hospitals on the orders of the İzmir Public Prosecutor’s Office in a government-led intimidation operation, the news portal haberturk.com reported on Friday.

I am afraid 2012 will not be easy

Emre Uslu, Friday January 20, 2012 When the Justice and Development Party (AKP) received 50 percent of the votes in the 2011 election and came to power by promising to make a new constitution, expectations were raised to expect a transformation of the system. But if you consider the aftermath of the elections, one cannot […]

Can the EU be blamed for Erdoğan’s authoritarianism?

It may be speculated that the EU’s resistance to Turkey’s European integration has to a certain extent played a role in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s slide into authoritarianism. If the EU had consistently backed its accession process, Ankara may have consolidated democracy and rule of law, so that such a concentration of power could have been avoided.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Turkey, ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ and ‘Titanic’

Gulenists dismissed, purged, and tortured: Canadian Immigration Board

Uplifting Romanian children in need

72-year-old Turkish man detained over coup charges

Sajjanhar: Dialogue urges one to excel in one’s own faith

Destici: No one should attempt to change law to save themselves

International students celebrate Prophet Muhammad in Gaziantep

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News