Turkey's EU accession talks in doubt after critical report
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to "divorce" the European Union after a critical report from the European Parliament on Turkey's accession talks.
In response to the report, Erdogan said that the EU was "trying to get rid of Turkey," according to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency.
"We will make our assessments in the light of these developments, and if necessary, we can divorce from the EU," Erdogan said ahead of a trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
The European Parliament report, adopted in Strasbourg this week, found that accession talks with Turkey should not be resumed in the current circumstances, citing concerns over human rights and the rule of law. Instead, MEPs called for the identification of a "parallel and realistic framework" for relations between Brussels and Ankara.
"We have recently seen renewed interest from the Turkish government in relaunching the accession process to the EU. This will not happen because of geopolitical negotiations, but only when the Turkish authorities demonstrate a real interest in halting the ongoing erosion of fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in the country," said Nacho Sánchez Amor, the lead MEP on the file.
Relations between Turkey and the EU have deteriorated amid Erdogan's increasingly autocratic behaviour following a failed coup attempt in 2016.
Talks on Turkey's accession to the bloc have stalled for years. However, in July, EU foreign ministers agreed to continue to consolidate ties.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
