WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing:
“TURKEY: HUMAN RIGHTS IN RETREAT”
Friday, December 9, 2016
2:00 PM
Rayburn House Office Building
Room 2255
Respect for human rights in Turkey has declined dramatically since the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Though the international community agrees that the Turkish government has the right to pursue justice against those who sought to overthrow it, Ankara’s reaction to the coup attempt has swept aside international human rights standards.
Five months after the coup attempt, the Turkish government maintains sweeping state of emergency decrees, shuttering educational institutions, civic associations, and media organizations and arresting, suspending, or firing tens of thousands of people alleged to have conspired with the coup plotters, oftentimes with little to no credible documentation. These measures, along with dramatic changes to the country’s judicial system and further changes planned to the country’s constitution, are transforming Turkish society and raising serious questions about the future of Turkish democracy.
Panelists will review the ongoing crackdown in Turkey; discuss the broad authority the government enjoys under the state of emergency; raise areas of concern regarding human rights and rule of law; and evaluate the implications of these developments for Turkish institutions and society. The discussion will also focus on policy options for the incoming U.S. Administration and U.S. Congress to consider when shaping relations with Turkey in coming years.
The following experts are scheduled to participate:
- Dr. Y. Alp Aslandogan, Executive Director, Alliance for Shared Values
- Dr. Nicholas Danforth, Senior Policy Analyst, Bipartisan Policy Center
- Dr. Karin Karlekar, Director, Free Expression at Risk Program, PEN America
Additional panelists may be added.
