6 minutes agoEU Parliament Seeks Suspension of Membership Negotiations With Turkey
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)The European Union should formally suspend Turkey's membership negotiations in the bloc, EU lawmakers have said Wednesday, addressing a symbolic rebuke to Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, whom Western governments accuse of sweeping human rights abuse. Expanding the shared attitude of [...]
Expanding the common position of the European Parliament about Turkey's long-standing goal of becoming part of the EU, lawmakers backed him with 370 votes for 109 against and 143 official suspensions of the process. However, it is EU governments who say the final word for any kind of suspension, the Koha Ditore broadcast.
“Nunging in a cell for 17 months without knowing what you are accused of, this is the reality in today's Turkey”, Kati Piri, Dutch centre left lawmaker in the EP, has said. It accused Erdogan of a <x2nd possible witch-like against critics”, referring to what the EU views as the oppression of instability, the collapse of judicial independence and turning to authoritarianism, actions that clash with democratic values and principles of freedom of expression of the bloc.
Official Ankara nominated the vote as meaningless. Turkey's ruling AKP spokesman, Omer Celik, called “invalid, unvaled and dishonest”.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that it expects the EP to make objective decisions and a constructive attitude to contribute to Turkey's EU membership process.
Parliament took such a stand two days before EU foreign policy and security chief Federica Moghrini meets in Brussels with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu to discuss bilateral relations. The EU process has not been frozen formally, but it has stalled since before the cleansing measures Erdogan initiated against those accused of involvement in the failed 2016 stamp and his rise against Europe in 2017, comparing governments in the Netherlands and Germany to the Nazi regime.
