US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday lauded Turkey as an example of democratic progress in a turbulent region, but chided its Nato ally over free speech and internet restrictions.

On a two-day visit to Istanbul, Clinton reaffirmed US support for the mainly Muslim country’s faltering bid to join the EU and urged a speedy solution to the Cyprus conflict, a major stumbling block in its aspirations.

Washington welcomes “Turkey’s rise as an economic power, a leader in the region and beyond, and a valued ally on the most pressing global challenges,” Clinton told reporters after talks with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

“Across the region, people... are seeking to draw lessons from Turkey’s experience. It is vital that they learn the lessons that Turkey has learned,” she said of a nation bordering unrest-hit countries such as Syria and Iraq.

“Turkey’s history serves as a reminder that democratic development depends on responsible leadership,” she said.

Clinton’s praise, however, came with a dose of criticism as she voiced misgivings over media freedoms and creeping restrictions on the internet.

“If there is an area that I’m concerned about with recent actions in Turkey... it’s the area of freedom of expression and freedom of the media,” she said earlier on CNN Turk television.

“I do not think it’s necessary or in Turkey’s interest to be cracking down on journalists or bloggers and the internet... It seems to me inconsistent with all other advances that Turkey has made,” she said.

About 60 journalists are in prison in Turkey, according to press groups.

They include popular figures charged as part of a long-running probe into alleged plots to discredit and oust the Islamist-rooted ruling party, which critics say has degenerated into a campaign to bully the opposition.