[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3357]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 FREE SPEECH IS UNDER ASSAULT IN TURKEY

  (Mr. PERRY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, free speech and the freedom of the press are 
under assault in Turkey.
  No longer can the United States turn a blind eye as an increasingly 
authoritarian regime continues to crack down on virtually all critical 
voices. The harassment, intimidation, and prosecution of dissenting 
journalists and citizens as well as the government takeover of critical 
media outlets represents the antithesis of free speech and a free 
press. These are not the actions of a nation that respects democratic 
values.
  Beyond the obvious consequences, by continuing on this path, the 
regime risks destabilization and pushing the persecuted into the arms 
of Islamist extremism. Right now, today, Turkey's leadership should 
embrace the marketplace of ideas that is a part of any vibrant, real, 
and sincere democracy.

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