Ahmet Davutoglu deeply condemned US Ambassador’s statement
Turkey on Thursday criticized the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Turkey over his comment about media freedom in Turkey following the detention of several journalists, local media reported.
"We believe that it is not right for an ambassador to pass judgment over an ongoing criminal investigation," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted by the semi-official Anatolia news agency as telling reporters during a visit to Nepal.
U.S. ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone questioned Turkey's media freedom when speaking of a recent police raid on a news website in Turkey at a reception on Tuesday.
"On the one hand there is a stated policy of support for a free press. On the other hand, journalists are put under detention. We are trying to make sense of this," Ricciardone was quoted of telling reporters.
Davutoglu said Thursday the government's views had been conveyed to Ricciardone by the undersecretary of Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.