Egypt’s ambassador to the United Nations Amr Ramdan expressed concerns towards the “deteriorated” human right situation in Turkey during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday, state- run news agency MENA reported.
The statement issued by the Egyptian delegation for human rights reported the alleged abuses by the Turkish authorities that violate human rights in other countries.
According to Ramdan there is a contradiction in Turkey’s human rights stance. He said: “Turkey has been leading international initiatives on advocating the right to peaceful protesting, while their security forces have killed and injured peaceful protestors in Taksim’s Gezi Park.”
Mohamed Abdel Qader, a political analyst specialised in Turkish affairs at Al-Ahram Centre for Strategic Studies, said: “Egypt’s speech was a snap back to Turkey’s interference in Egyptian affairs.”
He added: “Egypt was waiting for the right moment to respond to Turkey’s sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood group… and its condemnation of many Egyptian policies.”
Ramdan’s statement also tackled further issues, such as the arrest of journalists in Turkey, as well as the “illegal” and “brutal” use of force against citizens by the police, which went “unpunished”.
Moreover, it has criticised the shutdown of social media networks like YouTube and Twitter, describing it as a “crackdown” on freedom of expression.
The Turkish delegation, however, focused on Turkey’s “points of strength” during the session, such as ensuring complete freedom for homosexuals and ensuring safety for Jews, MENA reported.
