Turkey: MP slams EU leaders attending EU-Arab summit

ANKARA

In the wake of last week’s state executions in Egypt, a senior Turkish lawmaker criticized European leaders attending the joint EU-Arab league summit in Egypt.

"After the incidents in Venezuela and the executions in Egypt, it was experienced by the whole world that all things, which were said by European countries and America regarding democracy, freedom, public will and elections, are clear lies," said Orhan Atalay, the head of Turkey's Parliamentary Union of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (PUOIC).

"These kind of developments have taken Europe down a notch or two. From now on, whatever Europe says, no body believes it," said Atalay, a lawmaker from eastern Ardahan province.

Atalay's remarks came after the first EU-Arab summit opened in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday amid a high turnout from European officials despite the uproar caused by the mass execution of nine youths in connection with the assassination of Egypt's attorney-general in 2015.

The two-day summit, however, sees a half-hearted representation from half of Arab countries, according to official statements and Arab media outlets.

Atalay stressed that the European leaders are "denying their own values".

"The Europe clearly revealed that it was not sincere, and did not support democracy but anti-democratic regimes," said Atalay.

He added: "When someone says Egypt, the first thing that springs to mind are dungeons and executions."

Last week, the Egyptian authorities executed nine young men convicted earlier of assassinating an Egyptian prosecutor-general in 2015 in car bombing targeting his convoy.

Amnesty International said the men were convicted on terrorism charges after "grossly unfair trials" marred by alleged torture.

The death sentences were carried out despite calls by numerous international rights groups for a stay of execution.

Earlier this month, the Egyptian authorities executed another six people in two separate cases for the murder of a judge’s son and a senior police officer.

Egypt has remained beset by violence and turmoil since the army deposed Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely elected president, in a 2013 coup.

Writing by Emin Avundukluoglu