WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the Turkish authorities arrested three academics, who publicly read out a declaration urging an end of security operations in Kurdish regions of the country.
The Turkish government has also previously detained reporters, who have been accused of "espionage" for publishing reports weapons deliveries to Syria and on corruption.
"We see these actions as part of troubling trend in Turkey, where official bodies, law enforcement and judicial authorities are being used to discourage legitimate political discourse," Toner stated. "We urge the Turkish authorities to… uphold the universal democratic values."
