US Vows to ‘Continue to Promote the Rule of Law’ in Turkey

State Department spokesman Ned Price. Reuters
State Department spokesman Ned Price. Reuters
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US Vows to ‘Continue to Promote the Rule of Law’ in Turkey

State Department spokesman Ned Price. Reuters
State Department spokesman Ned Price. Reuters

The US vowed Monday to keep promoting human rights in Turkey, while also calling for cooperation, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expel the American ambassador over his advocacy.

"We will continue to promote the rule of law and respect for human rights globally," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"We believe the best way forward is through cooperation on issues of mutual interest and we know that we have many issues of mutual interest with Turkey."

Erdogan threatened to expel the ambassadors of the United States and nine other Western nations after they issued a joint statement for a "just and speedy" resolution in the case of Osman Kavala, a civil society leader who has been jailed without a conviction for four years.

Erdogan walked back the threat on Monday as the tensions caused economic havoc, including a sharp deterioration in the value of the lira.

The Turkish leader declared victory, saying that the envoys had backtracked by issuing statements saying that they respected Article 41 of the Vienna Conventions which obliges diplomats to respect the laws and regulations of the countries where they serve.

"What we issued was to underscore that the statement that we issued with nine other embassies on Oct. 18, that very simply, it was consistent with Article 41 of the Vienna Convention," he said.

"The principles that we have put forward in the context of Turkey, and also around the world, those are principles that we are committed to."



Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Vatican Cancels Pope’s Weekend Engagements as He Battles ‘Complex’ Infection 

Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)
Pedestrians walk past the statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is hospitalized for tests and treatment for an infection in Rome, on February 18, 2025. (AFP)

Pope Francis, who began his fifth day in hospital on Tuesday for what doctors have described as a "complex" respiratory infection, will not take part in this weekend's Holy Year events, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

The 88-year-old pontiff has been suffering from a respiratory infection for more than a week and was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Friday.

A planned public papal audience set for Saturday had been cancelled "due to the health condition of the Holy Father", the Vatican said in a brief statement.

A papal mass scheduled for Sunday will still take place, but will be led instead by a senior Vatican official, it added.

The Vatican said on Monday that doctors had changed the pope's drug therapy for the second time during his hospital stay to tackle a "complex clinical situation". They described it as a "polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract".

Doctors say polymicrobial diseases can be caused by a mix of viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Francis, who has been pontiff since 2013, has had influenza and other health problems several times over the past two years. As a young adult he developed pleurisy and had part of one lung removed, and in recent times has been prone to lung infections.