Turkey will strongly adhere to democratic principles and rule of law, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Saturday, referring to the government's crackdown in the aftermath of a failed military coup. 'From the very beginning, I wanted to say that despite what has happened a week ago in Turkey, that we will continue to strongly adhere to democratic principles and apply rule of law and not much really has changed. I know there are question marks,' he told a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu. The government's widening crackdown in the aftermath of a failed military coup has spooked investors, who have dumped the lira currency and sold stocks.