Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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162. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that on 6 January 2017, the Adalet ve Kalkýnma Partisi government in Turkey issued three new decrees expelling 8,398 more public employees and 649 academics, and banning 83 more civil society organisations (details supplied); and if he has raised his concern over these decrees and purges with his Turkish counterpart. [3367/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that the state of emergency, which has been in place since 20 July, was extended for the second time this month, and that three new decrees have already issued which provide for the dismissal of public sector workers, the closing of some 80 civil society organisations, increased powers for the security forces to investigate online activity and increased government powers of appointment in the military. This further deepens my grave concerns about human rights, democracy, the rule of law and freedom of expression in Turkey.

While I have not had the opportunity to raise the most recent decrees with my Turkish counterpart, I have been explicit about my concerns regarding the situation in Turkey and I have detailed them at every opportunity, including at the specially-convened meeting of the Council of Europe in September, at which Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuþoðlu was present.

My concerns are eased only slightly by my understanding that new decrees issued on 23 January go some way to reversing or lessening some of the more extreme measures taken under the state of emergency - for example, the period for detention without charge has been reduced to 7 days, and a commission examining complaints regarding arrests, detentions and closures of organisations, including media organisations, has been established. The state of emergency involves a derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights, which is allowable under the Convention in these circumstances.

We do not underestimate the challenges facing Turkey: the attempted coup in Turkey of 15 July 2016 was a criminal act and an attack on democracy, and the country also been the victim of dozens of horrific terrorist attacks, carried out predominantly by the outlawed PKK, their affiliates or ISIS. While the Turkish authorities clearly need to defend their democratic institutions and combat terrorism vigorously and effectively, they must also maintain a measured and proportionate response which adheres to democratic principles.