Turkey: US Secretary of State must call for the release of Amnesty Director and Chair
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 10 July 2017 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Turkey: US Secretary of State must call for the release of Amnesty Director and Chair, 10 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/596375974.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
As US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visits Turkey to meet with senior Turkish officials in Ankara today, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia, Gauri van Gulik said:
"With both the Chair and Director of Amnesty International Turkey behind bars we urge Rex Tillerson to use his face-to-face meetings to call on Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release them and the other human rights activists caught up in this cynical trawl.
"The US Department of State already described the arrest of Taner Kiliç, the chair of Amnesty International Turkey as part of an 'alarming trend'. Now with arrest of Idil Eser, the Director of our Turkey office, and nine others detained with her, the situation has deteriorated further. It's time to act and use all possible opportunities to demand that Idil, Taner and all human rights defenders are freed immediately and unconditionally."
Secretary of State Tillerson's visit coincides with a worldwide day of action to mark one month since the Amnesty International's Chair, Taner Kiliç, was remanded in prison on baseless charges, and five days since its Director, Idil Eser, was detained alongside other nine human rights activists.
