No new chapters on Turkey’s accession bid: EU
The European Union says it will not take up further policy areas - also called "chapters" - needed for Turkey’s membership of the bloc due to concerns over the Ankara government’s crackdown following an abortive military coup in July.
"Under the currently prevailing circumstances, no new chapters are considered for opening,” the presidency of the Council of the EU said in a statement released on Tuesday.
The EU has opened 16 out of the 35 chapters required for Turkey to join the 28-nation bloc, but only one of them has so far been concluded.
Expediting accession talks are part of a deal struck between Turkey and the EU in March to limit the flow of refugees to Europe.
Under the agreement, Turkey vowed to back rejected asylum seekers and patrol borders. In return, Brussels pledged financial aid, visa-free travel for Turkish nationals and progress in Turkey’s long-stalled EU membership talks. The bloc also promised to open new chapters in Turkey's membership bid at an "accelerated pace."
On Monday, however, Austria demanded a freeze on Turkey’s accession talks, with Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz saying "it is wrong to continue accession negotiations as if nothing negative has happened in Turkey."
In a relevant development on Tuesday, EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss issues concerning Turkey.
Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said ministers were seeking to close the gap on Turkey during the talks.
"The positions are quite diverse. So the goal for today would be to find a common platform to arrive at a compromise," he said.
In November, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) approved a motion urging the European Commission and member states’ governments to halt Turkey’s EU membership negotiations in response to Ankara’s post-coup purge.
In response to the non-binding vote, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted threatened to open his country’s gates for refugees to stream into Europe.
Turkish activists storm German-flagged ship that carried weapons for Israeli military
More than 50 countries press UN for arms embargo on Israel
PKK claims deadly attack on Turkey’s aerospace firm
UK police detain Jewish scholar Haim Bresheeth following pro-Palestine address
VIDEO | Iraqi resistance strikes key Israeli targets in occupied territories
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Iranian satellites launched into space as private sector debuts in space industry
VIDEO | Iran, Azerbaijan conduct joint maritime rescue operations
VIDEO | Yemen’s Red Sea divide: Naval forces block Israeli-linked ships in strategic ‘parting of the water’
VIDEO | Southern Gaza: Israel’s facade for famine and suffering
VIDEO | IOF hampering humanitarian aid
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
