Ricciardone: US listens to Turkey and its people

Speaking at the Independence Day reception held on Wednesday in Ankara with the participation of Turkey's Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis and Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone called for freedom of expression and assembly, quoting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and former US President John F. Kennedy. "The United States stands by the Republic of Turkey and her democracy, and we reaffirm our support for all Turkish citizens' freedom of expression and of peaceful public assembly," Ricciardone said, adding, "The liveliness of your debate demonstrates how far Turkish democracy has come since I arrived in 1979 on my first diplomatic tour. No modern democracy can thrive without free, energetic, and independent-minded mass media, and now, the new social media." Ricciardone also said that as the friend and ally of Turkey, they are listening to the people of Turkey, across the social and political spectrum with great attention and respect. For his part, Bagis said Turkey was open to all lines of thinking, provided they did not entail violence. "Those who are certain of their thoughts do not object to freedom of thought, and those who are firm in their belief do not go against freedom of religion. We are always open to all thoughts and ideas as long as they do not contain violence or call for violence," Bagis said.