Turkish president urges West to 'engage in self-critique'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says recent events in the Europe and the US have revealed once again double standards when it comes to Turkey.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Turkey, January 9, 2021.
AA

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Turkey, January 9, 2021.

The West should re-evaluate its self-proclaimed values of democracy, rights and freedoms in light of recent events in the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Erdogan's remarks came on Saturday at a launching ceremony of a new bridge in the country’s southeast, which took place through virtual video call at the presidential palace.

READ MORE: Shocking, disgraceful and worrying: World reacts to US Capitol Hill riots

“Countries that claim a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism ... have for years worked to hamper our fight against terrorist organisations. We saw the examples of this in France just a few months ago. We have also witnessed similar reactions in the incidents that have recently taken place in the US.” 

“All of these developments make it imperative for the West to engage in sincere soul-searching about its values,” the president said. “If [double-standards] to justify flaws remain in place, this means the world will have reached a new crossroads.”

READ MORE: Turkey aims to normalise relations with US, EU

Loading...

Double standards

At least five people died on Wednesday after pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in protest over Congress certifying that Joe Biden won the presidential election.

The grim scenes place an unprecedented stain on the US's track record when it comes peaceful transfer of power.

Erdogan said recent events in Europe and the US put the limelight on the West's double standards on what it deems acceptable for itself versus what it deems acceptable in Turkey, which he said adopts the same measures implemented by the very countries accusing Ankara of restricting rights and freedoms.

READ MORE: The bizarre cast of radical and conspiracy groups that stormed the Capitol

Loading...

'Primitive forms of censorship'

The president stated that “those who oppose our efforts to place social media avenues, where personal rights and freedoms are most widely violated, within a legal framework have themselves started to display the most primitive examples of censorship”.

READ MORE: Twitter, Facebook block Donald Trump's accounts from posting

He also said that these very same countries now use disproportionate force to suppress marginalised groups, thereby openly attacking the state and the law.

There will be more need for new common values based on fairness, equity and sustainability that will embrace the whole of humanity and go beyond distinctions such as origin, colour, belief and culture, Erdogan emphasised.

He said that they hope that the global political and economic order, for which restructuring has become inevitable with the Covid-19 pandemic, will be shaped within this framework, and added that Turkey is an advocate for such a vision.

READ MORE: Twitter permanently suspends Trump citing risk of incitement

Route 6