Turkey Urges Tunisia To Maintain Democracy, Resume Work Of Parliament - President's Office

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the importance of preserving democracy in Tunisia and urged Tunisian President Kais Saied to resume the work of the parliament amid the political crisis in the country in a phone conversation, the Turkish leader's office said on Monday.

Following mass anti-government protests that erupted in the Tunisian capital of Tunis on July 25, Saied had dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, suspended the parliament for 30 days and frozen the legal immunity of lawmakers. The president has since temporarily fully assumed executive powers. Ennahdha, the largest political party in the Tunisian parliament, headed by Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, said Saied's move was unconstitutional and amounted to a coup.

"On the topic of importance of maintaining the work of the parliament as a basis for solving problems and establishing healthy debate and dialogue, President Erdogan noted that it is vital for Tunisia to preserve democracy, ensure freedoms and respect the rule of law," the statement said.

Erdogan stressed that the "democratic transition serves as an example for the region, and the work of the Tunisian parliament, despite all the hurdles, is important both for Tunisia and for democracy in the region," the office stated.

Apart from the current political situation in Tunisia, the two leaders also discussed bilateral relations between their respective states and other regional issues.

"President Erdogan noted that maintaining the stability and peace in Tunisia is extremely important for the stability of the region as whole, and that Turkey was closely following the recent events in Tunisia," the office said.

Erdogan further expressed confidence that Tunisia will become even stronger after overcoming this challenge, the presidency said.