Turkey’s EU membership talks have stalled

According to IRNA, Reuters reported that the European Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that under the administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, democracy and the rule of law had been continuously undermined and that the EU’s recommendations had been ignored.

The report notes that although Erdogan stressed last spring that the Middle East country’s full membership in the European Union as efforts to improve relations, for the first time, Ankara is no longer serious about implementing the Brussels-backed reforms. .

“The EU’s serious concerns about the continuing deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, constitutional rights and the independence of the judiciary have not been addressed,” the statement said. The regression has continued in many areas, and in such circumstances, Turkey’s membership negotiations have been suspended.

In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry described the statement as reflecting the EU’s “dual criteria approach” and dismissing “baseless allegations and unfair criticism”. Ankara also accused Brussels of failing to live up to its promises and responsibilities to Turkey.

According to Reuters, Turkey became one of the EU’s emerging economies and a major trading partner after political and economic reforms, and began negotiations to join the bloc in 2005.

However, after Erdogan’s tough response to the failed 2016 coup and despite the improvement in diplomatic relations between Brussels and Ankara in 2021, the two sides have been at loggerheads.

The European Commission wrote in its annual report, citing the ongoing crackdown on dissent since mid-2016, that the Turkish government has imposed severe restrictions on the activities of journalists, writers, lawyers, academics, human rights defenders and critics.

In defense of the security measures, Ankara referred to Turkey’s threats of some insecurity in Syria and Iraq.

In its 2021 report, the European Commission questioned Turkey’s ability to meet its membership commitments, saying Ankara’s reforms ranged from economics to the rule of law on a case-by-case basis.

According to Reuters, the decision to withdraw Turkey’s membership application is up to the 27 EU member states. Many members believe that relations with Turkey should be defined as less intimate and based on extensive trade relations.