Turkey wants international support, and not criticism, as it deals with the aftermath of a coup attempt, the UN ambassador said yesterday after Europe and the United States expressed concerns.
Ambassador Yasar Halit Cevik also voiced disappointment after the UN Security Council failed to adopt a statement of support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government as it fought back the coup plotters.
“Turkey wishes, wants to see support, not advice or criticism,” the ambassador told a group of journalists.
“We would have wished that the Security Council would come with a position in a timely manner. That is important,” he added.
On Saturday, Egypt blocked a Security Council statement drafted by the United States condemning the attempted coup and urging all sides to “respect the democratically-elected government of Turkey”.
Egypt had proposed that the text be amended to call for the respect of “democratic and constitutional principles and rule of law”.
Turkey and several Security Council members, including the United States, worried the statement would have been too weak without wording explicitly supporting the Turkish government.
A UN spokesman Farhan Haq later said the global body “continues to stand firmly by Turkey and its democracy during this difficult moment”.
“The constitutional order needs to be fully preserved in accordance with the principles of democracy and fundamental rights, including through the full respect of freedom of speech and assembly and adherence to due process,” Haq said.
“These steps are critical to preserve Turkey’s democracy and its future stability,” he added.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has told CNN in an interview that the United States should extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey over his alleged involvement in Friday’s failed coup.
“We have a mutual agreement on extradition of criminals,” Erdogan said. “There should be reciprocity in these types of things, even if he is a citizen of the United States.