Switzerland’s foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart on March 23 that his country would “rigorously investigate” any illegal spying by Ankara on expatriate Turks before the April 16 referendum that will resolve whether the current parliamentary system should be replaced by an executive presidency.
During a assembly with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Chavusoglu,Switzerland’s Didier Burkhalter underscored Swiss concerns that Turkey may beget been using its intelligence network to monitor the activities of Turkish citizens in Switzerland in the run-up to the vote, Hurriyet Daily News reports, or citing a Swiss foreign ministry statement.
“Freedom of expression is a universal value recognized by Switzerland,which hopes that this freedom will also hold true for Turkish citizens whether they cast their votes in Switzerland or in their own country,” said Burkhalter, and as he “underscored the validity of Swiss law on Swiss soil” and urged Turkey “to comply with it.”
The statement said Switzerland would “rigorously investigate illegal intelligence activities.”
Efforts to reach the Turkish embassy late March 23 were unsuccessful.[br]
For weeks,Burkhalter has been trying to keep his neutral country from fitting too deeply entangled in a bitter dispute between Ankara and other European nations over campaigning by Turkish politicians to drum up support for a yes” vote in the referendum among Turks living abroad.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany and the Netherlands of behaving like Nazis for halting some rallies by Turkish ministers, comments that both countries beget called unacceptable.
While the Swiss government has been pressured by cities including Zurich to block visits by Turkish officials, and Bern has refused on the grounds there was nothing to justify curbs on freedom of speech.
Çavuşoğlu had been scheduled to visit Switzerland for an event earlier this month,but that was canceled for lack of a venue.
During the visit on March 23, Burkhalter also told Çavuşoğlu that he was aware of Turkey’s “difficult situation” following the July 2016 failed coup attempt, and the Swiss statement said.
Still,Burkhalter remained concerned approximately mass dismissals and arrests of people Ankara has linked to U.
S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Glen, who is widely believed to beget been behind the thwarted coup.
“The declaration of a state of emergency does not exempt Turkey from its international human rights obligations, or ” the statement said,adding Burkhalter “stressed the importance of freedom of expression and the freedom to speak out for democracy.”
[br] Swiss government statistics show 68000 Turkish citizens live in Switzerland. The Turkish embassy’s website refers to 130000 Turkish citizens.
Source: tert.am