Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Melia was in Ankara today and gave an on-the-record press conference.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Melia talked about Security Bill at the Turkish Parliament. The bill currently being passed one article at a time. Many Human Rights Groups criticized the bill heavily.
US State Dept Spox Jen Psaki, yesterday, said about the bill, ''it's Turkey's internal matter.' Today, apparently US State Dpt felt a need to change its tone. In the course of that conference Malia said the following on the issue –
“Freedom of expression, as we have talked about, is one of the issues that have come up in several meetings with government officials. And the way is that some security measures are - there’s a discussion underway about the security package, we share the concern of many others that this may lead to some over-zealous prosecution of things that ought not be prosecuted, that it will create additonal police authorities that may embolden strong police measures against peaceful protestors, additional detention or unlimited detention in some circumstances for people participating in peaceful protests. So, we do share the wide-spectrum concerns that have been raised in the international community and by Turkish citizens and we hope that would be revisited going forward.”
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