Stressing that those, who had taken it upon themselves to promote human rights during Gezi incidents in Turkiye, turn a blind eye to the incidents in Paris, President Erdoğan drew attention to the absence of news reports at media outlets across the world concerning the incidents in France.

"Yet, you raised hell over the Gezi incidents. Why so? Is that because it was Turkiye? Why don’t you recount and publish news now as you did back then? They don’t. Why? Because they are not honest, not frank," he added.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the Human Rights Day event at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara and visited an exhibition entitled "Turkiye: A Hope to Humanity."

"In our civilization, human rights are inherent in the existence of human being"

Marking the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Erdoğan stated that the Declaration contributed to the development of a common stance with regard to the human rights all across the world.

Expressing his hope for the points set out in the Declaration, which sets a criterion valid at the UN scale despite falling short of putting an end to the sufferings endured, to be put into practice, President Erdoğan said: "In our civilization, human rights are inherent in the existence of human being."

Stressing that those, who had taken it upon themselves to promote human rights during Gezi incidents in Turkiye, turn a blind eye to the incidents in Paris, President Erdoğan drew attention to the absence of news reports at media outlets across the world concerning the incidents in France,

"Yet, you raised hell over the Gezi incidents. Why so? Is that because it was Turkiye? Why don’t you recount and publish news now as you did back then? They don’t. Why? Because they are not honest, not frank," he added.

Noting that those, who used to criticize the Turkish democracy at a time of terrorist attacks on Turkiye, have not shied away from suspending democracy and human rights when the barrels of the weapons turned toward themselves.

President Erdoğan said, "Those, who called on us to open our borders while millions of refugees were flocking to Turkiye, have met those same people who have headed toward their soil with the harshest measures, first and foremost with barbed wires and walls."

"Turkiye never has and never will engage in such hypocrisy," he underlined.

President Erdoğan continued: "Those who denigrate the democracy, human rights and freedoms in Turkiye at any opportunity are now faced with their own test. Democracy is put to the test not when all is going well but during times of hardship like the current one. Turkiye has gone through and successfully completed all the phases of this test ranging from tutelages and coups d’état to terrorism and refugees. No one can any longer lecture Turkiye on democracy, human rights and freedoms."

ILKHA