Turkey rejects claims that it stifles free speech

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has denied that his country stifles freedom of speech.

The Turkish premier made the comments after meetings in Brussels.

He had earlier said he opposes satirizing the Prophet Mohammad.

“The European continent has been a multicultural continent, continues to be so and our values, including freedom of speech is our common value. also values (like) mutual respect are all-important values we share,” he said.

But the European Parliament disagrees.

It passed a resolution on Thursday urging Ankara to improve media freedom because it is “an essential component of any democracy.”

Some MEPs questioned why mixed messages by attending Sunday’s solidarity march in Paris backing free speech.

Turkey is ranked 154 out of 180 by free press group Reporters Without Borders.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said on December 1 that Turkey had seven journalists behind bars.

Police arrested 30 more reporters two weeks later on a string of state s