Turkey says US statement on Osman Kavala ‘conflicts with principle of rule of law’

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Hami Aksoy, the Spokesperson for Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has responded to the statement of US Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Kale Brown, who said, "Osman Kavala should be released."

CLICK - Statements by US, EU on Osman Kavala's continued arrest

Commenting on the statement calling on Turkey to release businessperson and rights defender Osman Kavala, who has been behind bars for 1,001 days, Spokesperson Aksoy has argued that the call of the US to Turkey "conflicts with the principle of rule of law."

Answering a question on the US statement by issuing a press release, Hami Aksoy has indicated, "Everyone has to respect this process conducted by independent courts. In fact, while a ruling of acquittal was given for the related person last February, he is currently arrested on a different charge in the light of recently acquired evidence."

'No country can give an order'

In his answer, Spokesperson Hami Aksoy has also referred to Fethullah Gülen and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which is held accountable for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Aksoy has argued that "when it comes to the extradition of the FETÖ head to our country, the US uses judicial process as an excuse."

Indicating that "Halkbank former Deputy General Manager Hakan Atilla was similarly arrested in the US for months before a court process started," Spokesperson Aksoy has found it "contradictory" that the United States "intervened in the case to such an extent."

"No state or no one can give an order to the Turkish courts regarding judicial processes," Hami Aksoy has underlined further.

Dışişleri Bakanlığı Sözcüsü Hami Aksoy’un ABD Dışişleri Bakanlığı’nın Osman Kavala’ya İlişkin Açıklaması Hakkındaki Soruya Cevabı https://t.co/idt8mB3HnV

— T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_Disisleri) July 28, 2020

What did the US say?

On the 1,000th day of his imprisonment yesterday, Kale Brown, the Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, released a written statement entitled "Osman Kavala should be released."

In its statement dated July 27, Brown said:

"As of this week, Turkish philanthropist and civil society leader Osman Kavala has spent 1,000 days in detention without being convicted of any crime. The United States underscores the importance of respecting international obligations and commitments.

"We call upon Turkey to comply with its own commitment to justice and rule of law and to release Osman Kavala from detention, while pursuing a just, transparent, and speedy resolution to his case." (PT/SD)