ANKARA
German President Joachim Gauck's remarks on Turkey's internal affairs were politically incorrect and diplomatically impolite, Turkey's parliament speaker said on Wednesday.
At a conference in Turkey's prestigious Middle East Technical University on Monday, Gauck resembled Turkey to East Germany, saying the current style of leadership in Turkey threatened the freedom of speech and press.
"We see access to the internet and social networks curtailed, critical journalists made redundant and even condemned, newspapers banned from publishing and editors coming under pressure from the judiciary," he said.
Turkey's Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek told reporters at the parliament that Gauck's statement was disrespectful to Turkey's ruling and opposition parties.
"Millions of Turkish citizens live in Germany. Visits like this should contribute to the strengthening of ties between the two countries," Cicek said.
Gauck's remarks were also criticized by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for being “unmeasured” and "untruthful."
Cicek: MP Alan should be freed
MP Engin Alan, who was elected to parliament in 2011 with Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), should be freed from prison, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said on Wednesday.
Alan currently remains imprisoned while being tried over allegations of belonging to the Ergenekon conspiracy, allegedly a clandestine network of military officers and bureaucrats who stand accused of trying to topple the elected AK Party government.
Responding to questions from journalists at parliament in Ankara, Speaker Cicek said that of the two charged MPs, Sabahat Tuncel is currently free to carry out her legislative responsibilities, but Engin Alan remains in prison. Cicek stressed, "The case of prisoner MP Engin Alan is unfair, and this injustice should be removed."
Turkey's Court of Appeal upheld an eight-year, nine-month prison sentence against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul Deputy Sebahat Tuncel for "being a member of the terrorist organisation PKK"; yet she remains free to attend Parliament.
"If Parliament could not find any constitutional solution [in Alan's case], the sentence should be postponed until the end of the term of Parliament," Cicek said.
Turkey's Parliament is currently in the 24th legislative session, which will continue untill general elections in June 2015.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
