WASHINGTON-Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the court-ordered arrest in Turkey of Idil Eser, Amnesty International’s Turkey country director, and other human-rights workers.
“The arrest of these brave men and women is unacceptable, and the latest example of the erosion of democracy in Turkey. These politically-motivated arrests were carried out to frighten and suppress those willing to stand up for human rights in Turkey. President Erdogan’s brutal crackdown on innocent citizens is part of a clear attempt to consolidate his own power in the wake of last year’s coup attempt. I call on Turkish authorities to release Idil Eser and her fellow activists without delay or condition, and Secretary Tillerson must make this a top priority in his engagement with Turkey’s government.".
