Turkey: Statement by Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

“I express my condolences to the families of the victims and reiterate my full support for the democratic institutions of Turkey.

In these difficult hours, a government is at its strongest if it firmly upholds the very values and principles for which it is under attack.

Democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers and fundamental freedoms must be defended.

The Turkish government must now refrain from actions that would lead the country further away from Europe. The citizens of both Turkey and the European Union have every interest in a close partnership in fields such as economic growth and migration.”