Neither NATO nor EU's reaction to Turkey coup appropriate, says Center Party secretary general
The Center Party’s secretary general, Oudekki Loone, called the fact that NATO remained a bystander and the European Union called for restraint during the attempted military coup in Turkey “regrettable”.
“Neither the European Union nor NATO displayed decisiveness and statesmanship in this crisis,” Loone said to BNS. She pointed out that the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, had urged the parties to show restraint in a statement open to different interpretations.
“The statement made about three hours after the crisis erupted by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was similar. Furthermore, even though it's highly unlikely that F-16 planes would go unnoticed by NATO, the alliance's principal signal was silence,” Loone added.
“The international community reacted only after U.S. president Obama's and Russian foreign minister Lavrov’s clear messages. The former expressed support for Turkey's legitimate government, and the latter urged to avoid bloodshed,” Loone said. “This crisis happened on Europe's doorstep, but Europe failed to take clear positions when they were badly needed.”
The attempted coup in Turkey was a worrying signal to everybody, Loone said. “An attempt was made to seize power by military means in a key NATO country. In a country with which the European Union is considering visa-free travel, an attempt was made to topple the legitimate government by force. It also should be noted that the attempt did not come in response to Erdogan's Islamization policies that he has been pursuing for some time already, but after Erdogan's government displayed a wish to change policies towards Syria.”
An investigative committee ought to be formed to establish how NATO leadership acted that night, Loone added.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: BNS