Emag.co.uk Entertainment News Leader
European Union has been sounding loud and hard lately against Turkey and the latest comment comes from executive Commission Jean-Claude Juncker saying the country no longer wants to join the bloc.
Juncker warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the country’s crackdown on political opponents and media houses saying the moves are against the EU values.
The EU criticism comes after the arrest of over a dozen senior staff members of opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper and Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party citing alleged links to terror groups.
Juncker added in a bitter note that Turkey is distancing itself from Europe every day and Erdogan would blame only to himself if his citizens are barred from entry to EU countries under visa-free travel program in near future.
The visa waiver is incentives package part that includes fast-tracked membership talks.
Turkey is in negotiations to join EU since October 2005, but been slowed down often by political opposition and mainly by resistance from Cyprus. The latest progress report on the on-going negotiations is learned to be released later today.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement saying the latest EU criticism is unacceptable. It added the EU nations have been turning a deaf ear to the sensitivities concerning terrorism of Turkey.
The ministry blamed further EU has failed to make the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down arms.
Even though PKK has been defined as a terror organization by EU its militants are still allowed to move freely in EU countries and engage in anti-Turkish propaganda.
