BRUSSELS, June 7 (UPI) -- Violence linked to demonstrations and police abuses in Turkey is an indication of the government's lack of tolerance for dissent, the European Parliament said.
Human rights groups have criticized the police crackdown on protests in Turkey. Authorities used tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators this week despite pledges to use stricter enforcement measures only as a last resort.
Members of the European Parliament said they welcomed Turkish statements about the government's commitment to democracy, but expressed concern some official voices lacked sincerity.
"The current unrest in Turkey highlights the absence of a culture of compromise and the failure to tolerate dissent in Turkish democracy," a parliamentary statement published Thursday said.
The Turkish government has tried to allay broad European concerns about political affairs and national security. European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule described a peace initiative with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party as a way to bring peace to parts of southern Turkey and represents a "chance to end terrorism" in the country.
Members of the European Parliament are scheduled to discuss the unrest in Turkey with European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton during a meeting Wednesday in Strasbourg, France.
