Secretary-General Urges Turkish Authorities to Fully Respect Due Process, Human Rights Law during State of Emergency, Investigation into Attempted Coup

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

In relation to the declaration of a state of emergency for a period of three months in Turkey, the Secretary-General takes note of the repeated assurances by senior Turkish Government officials regarding full adherence to the rule of law and due process when investigating and prosecuting those deemed to be responsible for the attempted coup of 15-16 July.  This is particularly important in the aftermath of the declaration of the state of emergency and the ongoing widespread arrests, detentions and suspensions.

The Secretary-General urges the Turkish authorities, consistent with the assurances given, to do their utmost to ensure that the constitutional order and international human rights law are fully respected, in line with Turkey's international obligations.  These include the freedoms of expression, movement and peaceful assembly; independence of the judiciary and of the legal profession; and adherence to due process.

The Secretary-General hopes that procedures under the state of emergency will be carried out in full transparency.