World powers and the international community have extended messages of
strong solidarity with the people of Turkey in the face of the threat
that the country’s democratic institutions and the constitutional order
have been facing.
NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg said in a written
statement “I have just spoken to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt
Çavuşoğlu. I am following events in Turkey closely and with concern. I
call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic
institutions and its constitution. Turkey is a valued NATO Ally.”
Another
message of solidarity to the people of Turkey on the situation in the
country came from Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Thorbjørn Jagland, in the form of an emailed statement.
“Any
attempt to overthrow the democratically elected leaders in Turkey is
unacceptable in a member state of the Council of Europe, which defends
democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” said Jagland of the CoE,
an intergovernmental organization defending human rights and comprising
of 47 nations, including EU states, Turkey and Russia.
Elsewhere,
U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed
that all parties in Turkey should support the democratically-elected
government of Turkey while Kremlin expressed its grave concerns over the
recent developments.
“The President spoke tonight by phone with
Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the events in Turkey. The
President and Secretary agreed that all parties in Turkey should support
the democratically-elected Government of Turkey, show restraint, and
avoid any violence or bloodshed,” read the readout issued by the White
House early July 16.
In a phone call to Foreign Minister Mevlüt
Çavuşoğlu, Kerry emphasized “absolute support for Turkey’s civilian
government and democratic institutions”. The Secretary underscored that
the State Department will continue to focus on the safety and security
of U.S. citizens in Turkey.
The Kremlin said it was gravely concerned about events in Turkey, and that it had instructed officials to help Russian nationals in Turkey return home at the earliest opportunity.
Kremlin
spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that
President Vladimir Putin was being kept constantly updated on the
situation in Turkey, where the government has said a military coup
attempt is underway.
Peskov said events were moving too fast to fully understand what was happening, but he said Russia was concerned and wanted to see Turkey return to the path of stability and order, and for there to be a lawful outcome.
He said that, whoever was now in charge in Turkey, it was incumbent on them to ensure the safety of Russian nationals.
The European Union has joined calls for “restraint” after the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“In constant contact with EU Delegation in Ankara
& Brussels from Mongolia. Call for restraint and respect for
democratic institutions #Turkey,” the EU’s High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, tweeted from a regional summit in Ulan Bator.
“Brussels
will be watching with deep concern the events in Turkey, a key partner
on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many
years without success,” said Mogherini.
