Clinton chides Turkey about backslide on rights

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday that Turkey must act on concerns about backsliding on human rights and its secular traditions, chiding a NATO ally whose support is critical to American goals in the Mideast.

Speaking politely but firmly about the moderate Muslim nation, Clinton said the recent arrests of dozens of journalists and curbs placed on religious freedom were "inconsistent" with Turkey's economic and political progress. (AP)