Turkish dictator Erdogan unwelcome in Britain

This video says about itself:

Torture in Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey: Amnesty finds evidence of torture including rape of detainees

10 August 2016

Amnesty International petitions against Turkey’s post-coup crackdown on the political dissent.

Petition link here.

“There are well-founded fears for people’s rights and freedoms in Turkey, as a crackdown of exceptional proportions continues following the failed coup attempt on 15 July 2016.

At a time of great fear and uncertainty the government must not trample over people’s rights in the pursuit of justice.

Abuses that took place during the attempted coup must be investigated and perpetrators brought to justice, but human rights must be upheld – not disregarded – during this process.

The state of emergency does not override Turkey’s obligations under international law and should not discard hard-won freedoms and safeguards.

Nobody can feel safe when human rights are not upheld.

Tell President Erdogan rights hard-won cannot be taken away, even during a state of emergency.

Turkish authorities must respect human rights as they carry out investigations, releasing people where there is no evidence of criminal acts and granting fair trials.

The prohibition of torture is absolute and can never be compromised or suspended. Amid torture allegations, independent monitors must be given access to detainees in all facilities. All detainees must have regular access to lawyers and family members.

The state of emergency must not be used as an excuse to crack down on peaceful dissenting voices or for widespread purges in civil society, media, the judiciary, education and other sections of society.

Censorship of media simply for criticising government policy is unlawful, even in a state of emergency.

Workers’ rights to challenge their suspensions or dismissals, in fair and transparent procedures, must be upheld.”

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Opposition over Erdogan‘s state visit to Britain is growing

OPPOSITION to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s state visit to Britain tomorrow is growing among MPs, human rights activists and community campaigners.

A cross-party group of MPs has signed an early day motion expressing concern over his visit in light of the upcoming Turkish election “in an environment where dissenting views and challenges to the ruling party are penalised so severely.”

Mr Erdogan is expected to meet Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday and dine with the Queen at some point during his three-day visit.

Kurdistan Solidarity Campaign co-secretary Rosa Gilbert said the group is organising a protest outside Downing Street from 10am on Tuesday because Mr Erdogan is a “war criminal, terrorist and Isis-supporting” president.

She said: “It is well-documented that the Turkish state has financially and militarily backed jihadists in Syria including during its invasion and occupation of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin.

“In the process of its invasion, the Turkish air force killed Anna Campbell, a British citizen, using military hardware built in Britain and bought from May’s government.

“It is therefore depressingly unsurprising that the British government has rolled out the red carpet for its Nato ally.

“But this visit must be opposed strongly by all those who are disgusted by the debasement of basic humanitarian values by the collusion of the UK in Turkey’s sordid war on Kurds, serving only to cause displacement and genocide in order to line the pockets of arms companies and the Treasury.

“Theresa May is sending a loud message that the lives of Kurds and the freedom of the thousands of political prisoners in Turkey are secondary to the destructive policies which strengthen imperialist interests in the Middle East.

“Like [Israel’s Benjamin] Netanyahu and Prince Bin Salman [of Saudi Arabia] before him, Erdogan is not welcome here.”

Solidarity with the People Of Turkey spokesman Arif Bektas said that it is “insulting” for British authorities to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with someone who silences the press and imprisons dissenting politicians.

“It is an embarrassment that someone who has turned Turkey into an open-air prison and who targets anyone who does not think like him will be a guest here,” he said.

“It is a disgrace to work with dictators for economic and military profit. The state must cancel the visit and acknowledge Erdogan’s oppression and human rights violations.”

Protests against Erdogan clash with tyrant’s fans in central London. Turkish nationalists seen giving fascist Grey Wolves salute: here.

FRIENDS of a British woman killed by Turkish forces in March while she was fighting alongside the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) occupied the roof of an Airbus factory in Bristol yesterday. They were protesting at the company’s ongoing sale of military hardware to the Turkish army while the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was at Downing Street meeting Prime Minister Theresa May: here.