EU lawmakers urge halt to Turkey EU membership talks

European Union lawmakers called on Thursday for a temporary halt to EU membership talks with Turkey because of Ankara's "disproportionate" reaction to July's failed coup, although EU governments are unlikely to take heed.

Thu Nov 24, 2016 | 8:11pm GMT

A woman adjusts the Turkish flag next to the European Union flag at the EU Commission
headquarters in Brussels in this January 15, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

By Gilbert Reilhac | STRASBOURG

Members of the European Parliament voted 479 to 37 in favour of a non-binding motion urging the European Commission and national governments to institute what lawmakers acknowledge would be a largely symbolic freeze in negotiations that have been going on for 11 years but have long been stalled.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim dismissed the vote as having no importance, an echo of comments this week by President Tayyip Erdogan, but he also warned Europe that cutting ties with Turkey would mean a "flood" of migrants to the bloc.

"We are one of the factors protecting Europe. If refugees go through, they will flood into Europe and take it over, and Turkey prevents this," Yildirim said in an interview with state broadcaster TRT Haber.

"I accept that cutting off ties with Europe would harm Turkey, but it would damage Europe five-to-six times more."

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said the vote would do nothing to encourage reforms, describing it on Twitter as populist and short-sighted.

Neither side expects Turkey to be in a position to join the EU for many years to come.

More than 125,000 people - including soldiers, academics, judges, journalists and Kurdish leaders - have been detained or dismissed over their alleged backing for the July 15 coup attempt, in what opponents, rights groups and some Western allies say is an attempt to crush all dissent.

"The European Parliament ... strongly condemns the disproportionate repressive measures taken in Turkey since the failed military coup attempt in July," the parliament motion read, although it added that it remained committed to keeping Turkey "anchored" to the EU.

Austria has led calls to stop Turkey's membership talks. Germany, France and most other EU states for now back continued engagement and fear putting at risk Erdogan's collaboration on migration.

The EU executive's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has said an end to the accession process would result in a lose-lose situation.

EU leaders are due to discuss Turkey again when they meet in Brussels at a regular summit on Dec. 15-16.

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• Turkey PM warns Europe: Cutting off ties would bring 'flood' of migrants

Erdogan accuses the EU of failing to understand the gravity of threats to Turkey. He said the bloc would have to "live with the consequences" if it stopped the talks and that Ankara could instead join an security alliance run by Russia and China.

Turkey still hopes to win visa-free travel for its citizens to the EU, part of an EU promise in exchange for its help in keeping migrants away from Europe, although the chances of it winning that right by the end of this year seem distant.

As part of the same deal with the EU in March, Brussels agreed to reinvigorate accession talks.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turkey-security-eu-idUKKBN13J13V

In Bashing Turkey, the EU Betrays Its Founding Values

For Turks, the July 15 coup attempt marked a watershed moment not only in the nation's history but also in our relations with the European Union. The weak response from Brussels to the most serious attack against democracy ...

SEP 6, 2016 3:00 AM EST

By

Omer Celik

STILL STANDING.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BULENT KILIC/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

For Turks, the July 15 coup attempt marked a watershed moment not only in the nation's history but also in our relations with the European Union. The weak response from Brussels to the most serious attack against democracy in any candidate country -- which left 241 innocent people dead -- raised serious questions about the EU’s reliability as a partner and its commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Whether Europe can win back the trust of millions of Turks will help establish if the union still has what it takes to survive.

In recent weeks, the Turkish people have not received the kind of support from European leaders that they hoped for. Each condemnation of the coup coming from the West has been accompanied by a long list of ifs, ands and buts. Any neutral observer could easily be convinced that the coup plotters, as opposed to their victims, were the aggrieved party.

Unfortunately, Europe’s failure to uphold its core principles is hardly new. In the aftermath of the 2013 military coup in Egypt that overturned a democratically elected government, EU officials rushed to meet the junta leader in Cairo, General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. Their response was indicative of a broader problem that has haunted Europe since the mid-2000s: the rise of populism, isolationism and xenophobia.

Faced with greater challenges than ever, Europe’s populists have turned to Turkey-bashing instead of addressing real issues affecting the lives of their citizens. Nonetheless, Turkey has maintained a constructive and professional attitude, repeatedly working with Europe to overcome mutual challenges.

When thousands of illegal immigrants from Syria and elsewhere flocked to Europe via the Greek islands, Turkish officials worked with their European counterparts to create a legal resettlement mechanism that proved to be a historic success. Within weeks, the number of arrivals in Europe dropped from several thousand to a handful per day. We continue to intercept boats, crack down on human traffickers and address the needs of refugees -- even though the EU  members comes up with excuses for their failure to deliver on promises including financial support on refugee costs and visa liberalization for Turks wanting to go to Europe.

Turkey also helps keep Europe safe. It has not only has been a frontline country in the fight against terrorist groups, but also cooperated with European governments to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters from the continent into the conflict zone.

More than 50,000 terror suspects, among them many Europeans, are banned from entering Turkey. Meanwhile, the Turkish authorities have notified their European counterparts about dangerous individuals -- some of whom were involved in barbaric attacks against innocent people in Paris and Brussels. Most recently, Turkey, in cooperation with the Free Syrian Army, put boots on the ground to liberate Jarabulus, a key stronghold of "Islamic State" in Northern Syria. In recent days, we made good progress to accomplish our mission: secure the border, neutralize threats against Turkish citizens and preserve Syria’s territorial integrity.

Finally, Turkey’s constructive attitude toward the EU has helped improve the organization’s image in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as among immigrant communities across Europe. For a long time, the prospect of a large and predominantly Muslim country joining the club was considered a sign of Europe’s commitment to pluralism. Even though many European leaders would rather attack the Turkish government, our priorities haven't changed: EU membership remains a strategic goal for Turkey, and neither double standards nor poor manners will stop us.

Moving forward, Europe can’t avoid making some tough decisions about what the union stands for, how far they are willing to go to preserve its values and where they would like the EU to be in several decades. Today's conversation over Turkey's failed coup and potential membership is about something much bigger than my country itself. This debate pits leadership against populism, tolerance over discrimination, principles over short-term interests and common sense over extremism.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-09-06/in-bashing-turkey-the-eu-betrays-its-founding-values