French-Turkish Dissimilar Views on State of Emergency after July 15 Coup

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said during a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Monday in Ankara that France understands Turkey’s need to pursue the perpetrators of the failed July 15 coup attempt and did not underestimate the threat posed by the coup-plotters. But, he said, the country must respect the rule of law, according to The Herald.

Ayrault said: “We must reiterate our attachment to the rule of law, to fundamental rights, the right for all to benefit from a fair trial and to defend these rights with the support of lawyers.”

The 90-day state of emergency in Turkey, which was extended this month by another 90 days, allows the government to rule by decrees and authority to detain suspects for up to 30 days and limit their access to lawyers, said The Herald.

“Turkey has the right to defend itself against terror. It also has the right to extend the state of emergency. But the state of emergencies in Turkey and France are not based on the same legal grounds,” Ayrault said

However, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized Ayrault’s remarks, stressing that the aim of both countries was the same, adding that “There is no difference regarding the state of emergencies in Turkey and France. Their context and objectives are the same. They both target terrorist organizations,” Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu added that, “Whatever legal proceedings terrorists attacking France are facing, so are the terrorists connected to (Gulen) who participated in the coup attempt and they have been handed over to the judiciary.”