UK backs Turkey's ‘right to act’ against suspected coup plotters

By Sorwar Alam

ANKARA

Turkish authorities have a right to act against suspected perpetrators of last year defeated coup, the British government said on Thursday.

“The Turkish government has a right and responsibility to act against the suspected perpetrators of the coup attempt and also against those who have committed or are planning terrorist acts,” the government said in response to a report released by the U.K.'s Foreign Affairs Committee on March 25 on the country's relations with Turkey .

The FETO terror group and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

The U.K. government’s report mentioned that trials against coup plotters were ongoing in several Turkish courts and the U.K. continues to closely follow the judicial process.

“We recognize the difficulty of tackling the networks of secretive organizations, and of tackling terrorism,” it said, underlining the “importance to safeguards which help uphold international human rights standards and the rule of law”.

The report supported Turkey’s fight against terrorist groups, including the PKK and Daesh.

“PKK terrorist attacks, and the PKK’s decision to take fighting to the towns and cities of the south-east of Turkey in 2016, show callous disregard for human life and wellbeing,” the report said.

“Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against this appalling violence,” it added.

It also said the U.K. government had consistently encouraged Ankara to take “legal and police measures”.

“The PKK is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the U.K. and we take action to disrupt its networks in U.K. and more widely - including through arrests.”

It also mentioned that Turkey had contributed significantly to fight against Daesh “through Operation Euphrates Shield and its domestic counter-terrorism efforts”.

“U.K.-Turkey cooperation has significantly reduced the numbers of U.K.-linked extremists reaching Iraq and Syria through Turkey, based on information sharing and ongoing Turkish action to identify and disrupt travellers.”

It praised Turkey’s “efforts and generosity” in hosting nearly 3 million Syrian refugees as Britain has been working closely with the EU to ensure that the remaining funds of promised €3 billion ($3.6 billion) were disbursed to Turkey as quickly as possible.

The report also highlighted Turkey-U.K. relations in defense, security, trade and commerce.