WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding the court-ordered arrest in Turkey of Idil Eser, Amnesty International’s Turkey country director, and other human-rights workers:

“The arrest of these brave men and women is unacceptable, and the latest example of the erosion of democracy in Turkey.  These politically-motivated arrests were carried out to frighten and suppress those willing to stand up for human rights in Turkey.  President Erdogan’s brutal crackdown on innocent citizens is part of a clear attempt to consolidate his own power in the wake of last year’s coup attempt.  I call on Turkish authorities to release Idil Eser and her fellow activists without delay or condition, and Secretary Tillerson must make this a top priority in his engagement with Turkey’s government.”

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