Turkish PM vows to fight corruption and target EU accession

Ahmet Davutoglu (pictured), the prime minister of Turkey, has made Turkish accession to the European Union a strategic target and pledged constitutional reform and to fight corruption.

He also angrily defended the Turkish position on press freedom, saying: "Press freedom does not mean the freedom to insult. In this country we do not allow insults of the Holy Prophet."

The PM was in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the opening of new chapters in the negotiation process with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

He also met European Council President Donald Tusk, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

Besides these meetings, the opening ceremony of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Brussels Representative Office and a meeting with Turkish citizens from different European cities was on Davutoğlu's agenda.

He was also due to speak at a Friends of Europe policy spotlight debate on ‘Turkey, EU and a changing world: meeting challenges together’.

Ahead of the visit, Davutoglu sparked criticism when he compared Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to the Islamist militants who killed 17 people in Paris last week (7 January), saying both had committed crimes against humanity.

Davutoglu said Israel's bombardments of Gaza and its storming in 2010 of a Turkish-led aid convoy headed there, in which ten Turks were killed, were on a par with the Paris attacks, whose dead included shoppers at a Jewish supermarket.

Davutoglu has been Turkish PM and leader of the Justice and Development Party since August 2014 having previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for five years, seeking to expand Turkish influence in regional affairs and on the international stage.

Meanwhile, Catalan MEP Ernest Maragall has called on the Turkish government to "stop interfering" with media freedom and freedom of expression, which he says are core values for the EU.

Maragall, a member of Parliament's Turkey delegation, spoke as MEPs voted on a resolution during the Strasbourg plenary on freedom of the press and media in Turkey.

The vote follows the arrests of police officers, journalists and media workers in the country at the end of 2014, and comes amid renewed concerns about attacks on media freedom in Turkey.

Earlier this week, access to certain online news sites was blocked and the printing press of a major daily newspaper were raided by police.

Maragall said: "With the resolution we call on the Turkish government to stop restricting freedom of expression and media freedom, which are at the heart of EU values.

"Our resolution appears almost obsolete on the same day it is voted. So much is happening so fast in Turkey these days. This week, a Turkish court ruled to ban access to some online news portals showing Charlie Hebdo's latest front cover. Turkish police also raided Turkey's secular daily newspaper Cumhuriyet in search of Charlie Hebdo after the newspaper announced that it would distribute a four-page selection of the latest issue in an act of solidarity.

"Twitter and Facebook are once again under threat after the Turkish authorities warned that websites publishing alleged records related to Syrian-bound trucks belonging to Turkey's Intelligence agency will be banned.

"Recent developments cast serious doubts over Turkey's aspirations to join the EU. We urge the Turkish government to work on reforms to reverse the undermining of judicial independence and fundamental rights."

He added: "Making progress on negotiations, which we truly support, should be conditional on the effective adoption of legislative reforms consistent with the principles of respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights. This includes freedom of expression and media freedom, which are core principles of democracy.

"The EU should adopt a firm stance towards the Turkish government and seek positive engagement with Turkish citizens."

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