US, Germany and UK slam Kosovo for last year’s deportation of Turkish citizens

Extradition of six Turkish nationals by Kosovo authorities suspected of their alleged links to Fetullah Gulen’s movement, was in violation in violation with dozens of regulations and marked an “egregious breach of democratic values” that highlights the Kosovo’s intelligence Agency’s susceptibility to political manipulation, the US Embassy in Pristina said on Monday. British and German Embassies in Pristina have supported the US statement.

Almost a year after Kosovo expelled six Turkish citizens as alleged threats to national security, the US Embassy in Kosovo reacted saying that a Kosovo parliamentary investigative committee, has exposed legal violations surrounding the incident despite attempts to obstruct its work. “The committee’s findings, which suggest 31 legal or procedural breaches by the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Interior Ministry, and other institutions, raise concerns about overreach by key security agencies, as well as the security sector’s susceptibility to political manipulation. We call on Kosovo institutions to ensure full accountability for anyone violating the law, and remind Kosovo leaders that security institutions must act only within their constitutional authority, subject to the rule of law,” the US Embassy said in a press statement on Monday.

“The issue is not the alleged guilt or innocence of the individuals, but rather the apparent circumventing of Kosovo’s legal processes by Kosovo politicians.  Political pressure on the security sector to break Kosovo law is an egregious breach of democratic values.  We urge full transparency in the security sector, and in the conduct of foreign affairs, to prevent inappropriate interference by Kosovo politicians in the future,” the US Embassy said.

The British Embassy in Pristina supported the U.S. Embassy statement on expulsions of Turkish citizens last March. “Kosovo institutions must be accountable and subject to the rule of law,” the British Embassy announced. Also German Ambassador to Kosovo Christian Heldt reacted saying that the rule of law is key. “In that understanding, a parliamentary committee should also be in measure to deliver it’s findings,” Heldt said.

This article originally appeared in Gazeta Express on March 12.

The post US, Germany and UK slam Kosovo for last year’s deportation of Turkish citizens appeared first on Turkey Purge.

from Turkey Purge https://turkeypurge.com/us-germany-and-uk-slam-kosovo-for-last-years-deportation-of-turkish-citizens