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European Parliament votes to freeze Turkey's accession talks

Thursday, 24 November 2016 2:13 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 24 November 2016 2:54 PM ]

Members of the European Parliament take part in a voting session in Strasbourg, eastern France, on November 22, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

The European Parliament has voted in favor of a freeze of membership talks with Turkey over Ankara’s heavy-handed crackdown following a failed coup in mid-July.

MEPs voting in the French city of Strasbourg approved a non-binding resolution on Thursday by a 479-37 margin with 107 abstentions.

The resolution demands that the bloc freeze membership negotiations with the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The EU lawmakers said the parliament "strongly condemns the disproportionate repressive measures taken in Turkey since the failed military coup attempt” and called for “a temporary freeze of the ongoing accession negotiations with Turkey."

The resolution underscores the increasing unease in Europe over Erdogan's tightening grip on power in the wake of the coup attempt.

Turkish Minister of European Union Affairs Omer Celik dismissed the vote as "null and void" and said the EU parliament loses perspective when it comes to Turkey.

"We consider that decision null and void. It is not a decision that can be taken seriously because of the vision it has and the language that pervades the text," Celik told a televised news conference.

Anticipating the vote, the Turkish president said on Wednesday that his country's "struggle for its stability and future won't be interrupted by (European legislators) raising and lowering their hands."

"I want to say in advance from here and address the whole world watching on their TV screens -- this vote has no value at all, no matter what result emerges," Erdogan said, adding, "It is not possible for me to even digest the message that they want to deliver."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo by AFP)

More than 125,000 people have been detained or dismissed over their alleged backing for the putsch. Much to the anger of Ankara, Western countries see the crackdown as an attempt to crush all dissent.

Those purged include soldiers, academics, judges, journalists and political leaders with links to opposition figures or groups.

Turkey has been attempting to become a member of the EU since the 1960s. Formal EU accession negotiations began in 2005, but the process has been mired in problems.

Only 16 of the 35-chapter accession process for Ankara, including foreign, security and defense policy areas which Turkey needs to complete, have been opened so far.

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