- Title: Germany worried by "polarisation" in Turkey's political debate
- Date: 20th May 2016
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (MAY 20, 2016) (REUTERS) GOVERNMENT NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, STEFFEN SEIBERT, SAYING: "The increasing polarisation of domestic politics, the polarisation of the domestic political debate in Turkey fills us with concern. We consider press freedom and freedom of opinion as central to every lively democracy, and that does not apply only to the work of the press. That applies also to the public expression of citizens who want to take part in political and social discourse, and applies especially also to elected representatives, who must be able to exercise their mandate freely and independently. For the internal stability of every democracy it is important that all relevant social groups are also parliamentary representatives. The whole issue will definitely be among the issues that the chancellor discusses in Istanbul on the margins of the humanitarian summit with the president of Turkey." VARIOUS OF MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN, STEFFEN SEIBERT, SAYING: "The European Union is working together closely on refugee policy with Turkey and an entire plan of action on this has begun to be implemented. In our view, as we have said several times, Europe stands, Germany stands by our commitments to this and we expect this from our Turkish partners too." NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 4th June 2016 12:28
- Keywords: Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Angela Merkel
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IM4PJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany is concerned by the increasing polarisation of the domestic political debate in Turkey and Chancellor Angela Merkel will broach this topic with President Tayyipp Erdogan at an upcoming meeting, a government spokesman said on Friday (May 20).
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert, responding to Turkey's parliament on Friday approving the first clause of a bill to lift lawmakers' immunity from prosecution, said:
"The increasing polarisation of domestic politics, the polarisation of the domestic political debate in Turkey fills us with concern. We consider press freedom and freedom of opinion as central to every lively democracy, and that does not apply only to the work of the press."
Siebert added that the issue would be brought up by Merkel at a bilateral meeting on Monday (May 23) on the sidelines of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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