Top EU officials rebuked Turkey on Thursday (22 November) over its arrests of journalists and academics and the long pre-trial detention of a Kurdish politician, holding a forthright press conference with Turkey’s foreign minister in Ankara that quickly turned tense.

Johannes Hahn, the EU commissioner responsible for relations with countries that aspire to join the bloc, emphasized the importance of political dialogue. But he said the EU was troubled over the arrest of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists.

“Criminal and judicial proceedings must be based on the presumption of innocence. Journalists and civil society must be able to do their important work,” Hahn told reporters, standing alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

???? @FedericaMog Wish honest discussion will open new phase of cooperation. #EU wants a strong ?? meaning a democratic one based on rule of law & fundamental freedoms. #EU aware of scares left by attempted coup but concerned for detentions. Hope Demirtas will be released soon /2 pic.twitter.com/psREK8XFJe — Sabrina Bellosi (@sabellosi) November 22, 2018

Hahn was referring to jailed rights activist Osman Kavala and 13 academics detained last week in an investigation accusing them of a bid to unseat the government through mass protests in 2013.

In a statement released after Thursday’s meetings, the EU said Turkey needed to “take decisive action to reverse the current trend in the rule of law and fundamental rights”.

Read the joint statement from @FedericaMog @JHahnEU and Turkish FM and chief negotiator @MevlutCavusoglu following today's high level political dialogue between the EU and Turkey in Ankara ????https://t.co/0zKjyjmlcW — European External Action Service – EEAS ?? (@eu_eeas) November 22, 2018

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, also at the news conference, took Turkey to task over the detentions of academics and said she hoped that a detained pro-Kurdish politician, Selahattin Demirtaş, would be released soon.

In a riposte, Çavuşoğlu called on the EU to stop defending “those who are engaging in activities with the aim of removing Turkey’s democratically elected government”.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday that Turkey should swiftly process the legal case of Demirtaş, former head of the pro-Kurdish opposition, saying his pre-trial detention had gone on longer than could be justified.

Judgment Selahattin Demirtas v. Turkey (no. 2) – several violations of the Conventionhttps://t.co/5IwiWB9QlH#ECHR #CEDH — ECHR Press (@ECHR_Press) November 20, 2018

“Turkey should follow the ECHR ruling,” Mogherini said. “There are no double standards here. We have high standards, whether you like it or not.”

"A stronger Turkey also means a democratic Turkey based on the rule of law, an independent and professional judiciary and full respect of the fundamental freedoms [..] We hope Mr Demirtaş will be released shortly and that similar cases will be dealt with soon" @FedericaMog pic.twitter.com/xHv984JGub — European External Action Service – EEAS ?? (@eu_eeas) November 22, 2018

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dismissed the ECHR ruling on Demirtaş, saying it amounted to support of terrorism.

Lawyers for Demirtaş said on Thursday they would apply simultaneously to Turkey’s Constitutional Court, the ECHR and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers if Demirtaş is not released immediately.