Ahead of EU visit, Turkish PM Davutoglu adds to row with Israel, defends limited press freedom

Following Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks strongly criticising Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for attending the memorial ceremony in Paris which remembered the victims of the January 2015 terrorist attacks, Turkey's prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu pointed another finger at Mr Netanyahu's human rights record.

The reaction came a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann had called Mr Erdogan an 'anti-semitic bully'.

Mr Davutoglu also criticised some of Turkey's media sources for publicising 'insults of the Holy Prophet', warning that authorities would not allow such to happen.

The prime minister was scheduled to meet with the European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels later on 15 January 2015. European authorities had increasingly shown concerns over Turkey's records on press freedom.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Paris welcomes world leaders for mass unity rally, under high security http://www.europeansources.info/record/paris-welcomes-world-leaders-for-mass-unity-rally-under-high-security-unprecedented-turnout-at-unity-march-brings-paris-to-a-standstill/

ESO: Background information: Joint statement on the police raids and arrests of media representatives in Turkey http://www.europeansources.info/record/joint-statement-on-the-police-raids-and-arrests-of-media-representatives-in-turkey/

The Guardian, 15.01.15: Turkish PM compares Binyamin Netanyahu to Paris attackers http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/15/turkish-pm-ahmet-davutoglu--muhammad-cartoons-provocation-charlie-hebdo

EurActiv, 16.01.15: Turkish PM: If Europe persists in its ‘Holy Roman attitude’, it is over http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/turkish-pm-if-europe-persists-its-holy-roman-attitude-it-has-ended-311321

EUObserver, 16.01.15: Turkey PM speaks of press freedom despite crackdown https://euobserver.com/justice/127240

European Council: Statement/5/15, 15.01.15: Press statement by President Donald Tusk following his meeting with Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/01/statement-president-tusk-following-meeting-turkey-prime-minister-davutoglu/

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