Turkey and European Union have not succeeded in reaching contentious points at ir summit in Bulgaria’s Varna. “If you ask me wher we have achieved solutions or compromises, my answer is: no,” said EU Council President Donald Tusk after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “What I can say is that I have expressed all our concerns. The list was long. “
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The EU remains concerned about rule of law in Turkey, said Tusk. He criticized Turkey’s EU citizens inhaftiere, natural gas drilling before Cyprus block and military action in Syria.
In EU’s view, Turkish Government is a massive violation of rule of law in its action against Islamic Gülen movement. The Turkish leadership is responsible for movement for coup attempt in July 2016. As a result, many journalists and human rights activists have also been detained. Since n, EU has not continued negotiations on Turkey’s accession to EU, nor has any planned talks on a closer customs union yet begun.
Erdoğan said in Varna that his country continues to aspire to membership of EU: “We hope that we have left difficult period behind us in relations between Turkey and European Union.” In his opinion, EU committed a serious mistake if it excludes Turkey from its enlargement policy.
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The modernisation of customs Union should be tackled quickly, demanded Erdoğan. Political aspects should be left out. The President of State particularly insists on rapid implementation of visa liberalisation. He pointed out that in February, his Government submitted proposals to EU on how Turkey could meet still open conditions for visa liberalisation. In wake of refugee agreement, EU had promised that, following 72 conditions, visa requirement for Turkish citizens would be abolished.
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Erdoğan rejected criticism of tusks. Turkey will continue its fight against terrorism both in country and beyond, especially in north Syrian Afrin, said Erdoğan. In Afrin, Turkish troops are fighting Kurdish militia YPG. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said: “This fight must be regulated and should be carried out in accordance with international law.”
The EU calls for a genuine change of policy in Turkey to continue accession talks. The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz had already called for talks to be officially aborted. He suggested that re should instead be a “cooperation within framework of a neighbourhood concept”. French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed himself at beginning of year.
