| Taken Question Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC August 24, 2005 Question Taken at the August 23, 2005 Daily Press Briefing Turkey's Handling of its KurdsQuestion: Turkey Prime Minister Erdogan "admitted that Turkey had mishandled its rebellious Kurds", saying democracy, not oppression, is what is needed. Any comment on this remarks in the context of Turkey's human rights practices/policies? Answer: The United States has long supported Turkey’s democratization efforts as it continues on its path toward the European Union. Turkey has made impressive strides in recent years on democratization and human rights issues, as reflected by the European Union decision to grant Turkey a date to open European Union accession talks. This progress has also been noted in the Department’s annual human rights reports. We commend the Turkish authorities and the Turkish people on their determined effort and will continue to support Turkey as it moves this process forward. 2005/807 |
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