Bulgarian, European Socialists Condemn Violence in Turkey

Sergey Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and of the Party of European Socialists, PES, photo by BGNES

The leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, and of the Party of European Socialists, PES, Sergey Stanishev, condemned Tuesday the excessive force on the part of the Turkish government against demonstrators.

On behalf of PES, Stanishev expressed deep solidarity with Turkish citizens protesting peacefully against the allegedly autocratic and Islamist-leaning regime of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party, JDP.

In addition to police brutality, the European Socialists condemn the increasing media censorship in Turkey – from blocking social networks to information blackout in mainstream media.

"Democracy requires constant commitment. The alarming events in Turkey are the latest proof of the systematic violations of principles of pluralistic society and media freedom, committed by JDP's government," Stanishev stated, stressing Turkey, as a EU member candidate and a country that serves as example of democracy for the entire region, must walk the path towards a new Constitution, based on a large non-partisan consensus.

According to him, the new Constitution must guarantee the secular foundations and accountability of the Turkish State within the frame of rule of law, independence of the judiciary, and adherence to individual and collective human rights, including those of women and minorities.

Stanishev called on the Turkish government to end violence and listen carefully to the demands of the people.

It was reported meanwhile that the number of people injured in clashes with police during mass protest rallies in three large cities - Istanbul, the capital Ankara, and Izmir - has reached 3 500 people.

There have been two officially reported fatalities - a 22-year-old man died in hospital Tuesday after being shot during a rally in southern Turkey and a 20-year-old man was killed Monday when a taxi ran into a group of protesters on an Istanbul highway.