European Union criticises Turkey for failings on rights, rule of law

The result was a huge personal victory for 61-year-old Erdogan, Turkey’s divisive strongman who may now be able to secure enough support for his controversial ambitions to expand his role into a powerful executive presidency.

A string of high-profile raids against media groups deemed hostile to Erdogan and the jailing of critical journalists have raised fears about the state of democracy in Turkey.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday that Turkey would respond by air and land to threats from Syria and that a new strategy was needed.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who visited Istanbul before the vote, says there can be no solution to the migration crisis without Turkey, which shares a long border with Syria and Iraq.

The report is part of an annual package on progress by countries aspiring to join the EU.

“The new government formed after the repeat election on 1 November will need to address these urgent priorities”, the report said. “Erdogan wants to strengthen ties with the European Union and now he can feel more at ease at home”. He said that meant Turkey could now act with more authority in the region. The report tells of a serious backsliding on Turkey’s end for the past two years.

The report’s key conclusions can be read on the Commission’s official website.

“I trust that every effort will now be made to build confidence in the society, strengthen the rule of law and fundamental freedoms and engage constructively with the political opposition”, Tusk wrote.

Erdogan criticised what he said was a few countries’ “double standards” towards terrorist organisations, stressing that in the event of failure to take a strong stand against these organisations, their terrorism will eventually spread to the entire world. Dozens of users have faced accusations of “insulting the president” including an industrial designer and former Miss Turkey earlier this year.

Turkey’s southeast has been in a state of unrest since a two-year ceasefire between the Turkish state and the PKK ended in July.

Hundreds have died in ensuing violence.

“On the other hand, a few people blame the security officials, they say if they didn’t put this pressure on Kurds, the PKK would not have brought the strategy of sieges and barricades to the cities”.