Turkey must protect the rule of law following the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission in the Juncker Commission, said Monday, after authorities detained 6,000 in a ruthless crackdown.
"We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country, there is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that," Mogherini said as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels.
"As we have been the first ones to say that in that tragic night (of Friday's coup attempt), the democratic and legislative institutions needed to be protected," she told reporters.
"Today we will say together with ministers that obviously doesn't mean that rule of law and the system of checks and balances in the country does not count. On the contrary it needs to be protected for the sake of the country. So we will send a strong message on that."
