The European Parliament denounces the authoritarian drift of Turkey

Just a month after the sofagate shook relations between the EU and Turkey, the European Parliament has sent a serious warning to Ankara.

MEPs have approved a highly critical report, in which they denounce an authoritarian drift “which is reflected in the inability of the Turkish government to accept the slightest political criticism.”

The author of the report demands a change of course and warns of the possible consequences. “As the accession process is not promoting democratic reforms, the European Parliament is committed to including democratic conditionality in all aspects of our relationship. This means that with regard to the customs agreement we ask for strict and deep conditionality democratic “, explains Nacho Sánchez Amor, a Spanish MEP from the Socialist group.

According to the report, during the past two years, the opposition and the media have suffered unprecedented repression. Despite this, Turkey remains a candidate country to join the EU. MEPs call for accession negotiations to be formally suspended if democracy continues to lose ground.

But Manfred Weber, leader of the Popular group, insists on keeping the lines of dialogue open. “It is clear to me that Turkey cannot be a member of the European Union. We need a special, good-neighborly form of association. This is what we have to achieve. In the current circumstances we need each other. That is why we have to use ongoing conversations to make things better. “

The text also includes positive aspects, such as Turkey’s efforts on migration.

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