[ALMANAR.LB] The European Union...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...
on Saturday condemned as "extremely worrying"
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
's arrest of academics who signed a petition criticizing a military crackdown in the Kurdish-dominated southeast.
Everybody say "tut tut." There. Doesn't that feel better?
"The steps taken against the Turkish academics who signed a declaration regarding events in the southeast of Turkey are an extremely worrying development," an EU spokesperson on foreign affairs said in a statement.
"They are no longer detained, but the procedures against them are ongoing."
Turkish police on Friday detained at least 18 academics who signed a petition criticizing a military crackdown in the southeast, triggering new alarm about freedom of expression in the country.
They were locked away
Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please!
in raids targeting 21 academics accused of disseminating "terrorist propaganda" by signing a petition denouncing military operations against Kurdish rebels.
Fifteen academics and lecturers from the University of Kocaeli, near Istanbul, were initially detained, with another three academics from Uludag University in western Bursa province later held in their offices, Turkey's Dogan news agency said.
The academics were questioned for a day before being released, Dogan reported late Friday.
"While reaffirming our strongest condemnation of all forms of terrorist attacks, including by the PKK ... we restate that the fight against terrorism must fully respect obligations under international law, including human rights
...not to be confused with
individual rights,mind you...
and humanitarian law", the EU spokesperson said.
"Freedom of expression must be upheld, in line with the Copenhagen political criteria; an intimidating climate goes against this.
"We expect Turkey ensure that its legislation is implemented in a manner which is in line with European standards enshrined in the European Convention for Human Rights and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights."