Ria Oomen-Ruijten MEP strongly condemns attack in Turkey - Main contents

Ria Oomen-Ruijten MEP, Rapporteur of the European Parliament for Turkey, said: "I strongly condemn the attack on the police escort and convoy of Prime Minister Erdogan which occurred yesterday and would like to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victim. An election campaign should give citizens and candidates of all political parties the opportunity to express themselves freely and without fear in political debate. The only way forward for uniting Turkish society on the basis of equal rights for every citizen is through political dialogue and concrete initiatives for reconciliation by peaceful means. I sincerely hope the elections on 12 June will be a celebration of democracy in Turkey".

In her latest report, Ria Oomen-Ruijten condemned the continuing violence perpetrated by the PKK and other terrorist groups on Turkish soil and called upon Turkey, the EU and its Member States to intensify their cooperation in the fight against terrorism.