Summary: Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries when criticised on human rights grounds accuse their critics of interference in internal domestic affairs.
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It would perhaps be interesting to discover why the UK was not one of the signatories [of the 18 October statement calling for the release of Osman Kavala], or did I miss something?
It is a good question. In reply we would quote from Bill Park’s chapter on UK-Turkey relations in What Next for Britain in the Middle East? (I.B. Taurus, editors Phillips and Stephens). He writes “The UK’s relationship with Turkey does not at all exhibit much British commitment to human rights abroad.” He argues that the UK, like the US, values security ties with Turkey very highly. And we would add that this is yet another example of the Johnson government post-Brexit putting trade well ahead of any concerns over human rights and governance issues.