Gul warns police to avoid use of excessive force

President Abdullah Gul yesterday warned police to avoid the use of excessive force. "While providing security, (you must) also meet the standards of developed democratic countries in our country," Gul said in a speech marking the new academic year at Ankara's Police Academy. "This is where the understanding of security and democracy is formed and discussed theoretically." Saying that the authority to use force is a great responsibility, Gul added, "When mistakes are made, this directly interests the state." Evoking the unsolved murders of past decades, he said, "Today, I see with great contentment that these have remained in the past." Speaking at the same occasion, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said that torture in Turkey has been eliminated, as no torture cases have been filed this year.