US expresses concern over violence in Turkey

Washington: The United States expressed concerns over the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters in Turkey.

"The United States has serious concerns about the reports of excessive use of force by police and large numbers of injuries and damage to property," said White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. "We call on these events to be investigated and to urge all parties to refrain from provoking violence," he said on Monday. Continuing to follow the events in Turkey closely and with concern, he said the vast majority of the protesters have been peaceful, law-abiding, ordinary citizens exercising their rights. "Turkey is a very important ally of the United States," he added. "All democracies have issues that they need to work through and we would expect the government to work through this in a way that respects the rights of their citizens," said Carney. "I think that we continue to work with Turkey on a range of issues as a NATO ally and as a key player in the region and we look forward to doing that," he added. PTI