According to media reports, the Turkish government is holding the network of US-based Islamist preacher Fethullah Güler responsible for plans to overthrow the government following the attempted coup. The response to the coup in the name of counter-terrorism would therefore appear to violate European fundamental rights.

The Turkish government has, for instance, been accused of torture. Furthermore, reports have come in indicating that tens of thousands of civil servants that have been dismissed, suspended and, in some cases, incarcerated under the pretext that they were attempting to side with the Gülen movement. There now appears to be substantial restrictions on press freedom and freedom of speech, and it is also apparent that a hard line involving military force is being taken on the Kurdish issue.

Only recently German newspapers such as ‘Die Welt’ and ‘Die Presse’ reported that the Turkish government was gathering information on alleged Gülen supporters in Germany and Austria via its international government-financed network of mosques. Organisations such as the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood are likely to benefit from this most of all.

1. Are media depictions of reprisals against Turkish citizens in line with the findings and the assessment of the Commission?

2. What position has the Commission taken vis-à-vis the Turkish government on this particular matter?

3. How does the Commission view the aforementioned developments in light of EU membership negotiations?