#Turkey: MEPs call on EU to freeze negotiations following ‘disproportionately repressive measures’ since July’s coup attempt

The European Parliament (24 November) adopted a resolution on the EU-Turkey accession process, urging the Council and the European Commission to temporarily freeze accession negotiations with Turkey. This should be maintained as long as the Turkish authorities continue to neglect and undermine democracy and the rule of law.

S&D president Gianni Pittella, stated that: "The disproportionate repression measures taken by Erdoğan forced us to urge the Commission and Council to temporary freeze the accession talks with Turkey because we can no longer remain silent in the face of Erdoğan's outrage and the evident breaches of the rule of law and human rights in Turkey… Until then, we will continue our dialogue but freeze the accession talks."

S&D MEP and EP rapporteur on Turkey, Kati Piri, said, "unfortunately, the situation leaves us with no other choice than to call for the temporary freeze of the talks. This doesn't mean we should stop our dialogue, but we have come to a point where a meaningful negotiation on EU-integration is currently not credible.

"We are not abandoning the Turkish citizens; they believe in the same values as us, and so our door remains open. We are merely reacting to what's happening in a country that aspires to join the EU. We expect the same from the EU-leaders in December."

ALDE Group leader, Guy Verhofstadt, said the European Parliament’s recommendation must implemented as soon as possible, saying: “Turkey is an essential partner for the European Union when it comes to energy security, stabilising the region around Syria and Iraq and the fight against terrorism. However, it is wrong to pretend that we can advance on any of these fields by trampling on European values and principles, by closing our eyes as President Erdogan closes down independent media outlets, jails journalists and criminalises members of his Parliament.

By continuing the illusion of accession talks with an increasingly authoritarian regime, the EU is losing credibility, is fooling our citizens, and also betraying those Turkish citizens who look to Europe as their future.”

Manfred Weber MEP who was critical of Boris Johnson’s sudden change of view from being opposed to Turkish EU membership before the UK’s EU referendum to saying that the UK would be supportive of Turkish accession following the referendum. Weber who is also leader of the EPP group in the Parliament is supportive of freezing negotiations. He said that, “the EU needs to send a clear message to Turkey… accession negotiations should be frozen as they cannot continue under the current circumstances. Should Turkey reintroduce the death penalty, we need to make very clear as well that such a country cannot become a member of the European Union."

Share this article: