Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, and Swiss Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, right, talk, Thursday, march 23, 2017 in Bern, Switzerland. Cavusoglu's visit to Switzerland follows a weeks-long dispute between Turkey and several other European nations over campaigning by Turkish politicians. Cavusoglu will also meet representatives of the Turkish community in Switzerland at the Turkish embassy in Bern. (Anthony Anex/Pool via AP)
March 23, 2017 - 3:41 PM
GENEVA - The Swiss foreign minister has told his Turkish counterpart that authorities in the Alpine country will investigate any illegal intelligence activities in Switzerland ahead of a pivotal referendum in Turkey that could grant sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter's office summarized his comments in a meeting in Bern with Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday.
Cavusoglu's efforts to address Turkish expatriates in Europe have stirred controversy in places like the Netherlands, where authorities barred him from attending a campaign event there, and Germany.
Burkhalter's office said in a statement that he recognized the "difficult situation" Turkey faces after a failed coup d'etat in July, but that a state of emergency declared by Ankara "does not exempt Turkey from its international human rights obligations."
News from © The Associated Press, 2017