CoE commissioner blasts Turkey for widespread human rights abuses

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner has blasted Turkish authorities for widespread human rights abuses, in a stark review of the anti-government protests in Turkey earlier this year.

According to the Associated Press, the report by Nils Muiznieks published Tuesday also says that many allegations of abuse by Turkish police are not being investigated.

Muiznieks says: "The Commissioner considers that impunity of law-enforcement officials committing human rights violations is an entrenched problem in Turkey."

The report comes at a sensitive time, just weeks after the European Union resumed membership talks with Turkey that had been stalled.

Thousands of demonstrators were injured and five were killed during nationwide protests in May and June that were sparked when police cracked down on protesters objecting to the razing of a city park in Istanbul.