Council of Europe chief backs Turkey ‘clean-up’

ANKARA — The head of a top European rights watchdog on Wednesday backed a “cleaning up” of Turkish state institutions after a failed coup blamed on supporters of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Council of Europe chief Thorbjorn Jagland — one of the most senior European officials to visit Turkey in the wake of the botched July 15 putsch — said there had been insufficient understanding in Europe about the challenges faced by Turkey. Some 18,000 people have been detained in the crackdown after the coup, which Ankara blames on followers of Gulen who built up a presence in key institutions including the military. Gulen denies the accusations. “I recognize that of course there is a need for taking on those who were behind this coup and also on this secret network,” Jagland said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. His comments contrasted with the tone of several EU officials who while condemning the coup have expressed alarm over the scope of the crackdown. “I would like to say there has been too little understanding from Europe over what challenges this has caused to the democratic and state institutions of Turkey,” said Jagland, referring to Gulen’s group. “We however have been informed about it for a very long time. So therefore of course we see a need for cleaning up all of this.” The CoE promotes democracy and the rule of law in Europe and its members include states who are not EU states like Turkey and also Russia. But Jagland, who was later to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also emphasized the importance of all moves being carried out within the rule of law and the Convention on European Human Rights.