EU report chides Turkey on human rights, freedoms

The commission has been accused of delaying its publication beyond the November 1 elections in Turkey, which delivered a victory to the party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“The independence of the judiciary and the principle of separation of powers have been undermined since 2014 and judges and prosecutors have been under strong political pressure”.

The failure of EU states to come to an agreement over these issues has raised more questions over European solidarity and the legitimacy of the bloc.

But it criticizes Turkey’s government for what it said were curtailments on freedom of expression and for undermining the independence of Turkey’s judiciary.

“Reforms in these key areas are an indispensable priority in Turkey’s accession process – in Turkey’s own interest”, EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn told lawmakers in the European Parliament.

“The pace of reform in Turkey slowered in the last year” also “because of protracted elections and continuous political divisiveness”, said the latest EU report on Turkish EU accession presented at the European Parliament today.

“The report emphasizes an overall negative trend in the respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights”, said a summary of the report released on Tuesday by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body.

He specifically cited “increased pressure and intimidation of journalists and media outlets” on top of the muzzling of internet reporting.

The security situation has deteriorated severely, and it is imperative that peace talks resume with the rebel PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), the report adds. Hundreds have died in the ensuing violence.

It also adds that the escalation of violence recently in the country’s east and south east gave rise to serious concerns over human rights violations. “Turkey needs to commit itself unequivocally to good neighbourly relations and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter, having recourse, if necessary, to the global Court of Justice”, the report also said. The report comes at a time when the European Union is seeking help from Ankara to deal with its ongoing refugee crisis, which is being noted as the largest influx of asylum-seekers since the Second World War.

“I commend Turkey’s humanitarian support to more than two million refugees; we have stepped up our cooperation for a joint action plan for refugees”, Hahn said.

The other membership hopefuls in Tuesday’s progress report included Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, however, that he does not expect any new countries to join the bloc before 2019.