European Union report chides Turkey on human rights, freedoms

“Significant shortcomings have affected the judiciary, as well as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly”, RIA Novosti cited the reports as saying. Under Turkey’s current constitution, the president is a largely ceremonial figure.

Obama has had a sometimes hard relationship with Erdogan, amid difference of approach to the war in Syria and other key foreign policy issues. After Twitter removed the content, the block was lifted.

And just days before the general election, the Turkish authorities seized the Koza Ipek media conglomerate which owned news channels and newspapers including HaberTurk, Bugun TV and Bugun newspaper. The company denies the claims. Earlier this year, media watchdog Bianet reported that there were 32 journalists and news publishers in prison in Turkey. Only one of the 33 “negotiation chapters” has been completed. “Let’s make this period a time of reforms, prioritising a new Constitution”, Mr Erdogan said at a commemoration ceremony for modern Turkey’s founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, first president of the republic proclaimed in 1923.

The Turkish government said in a statement that “some of the comments in the report do not duly reflect Turkey’s reforms” and added that a few were “unfair and excessive”.

Davutoglu: has admitted that Turkey needed to do more to upgrade its democracy.

“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.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken with U.S. President Barack Obama over the phone, which included talks over the ongoing Syrian stalemate, Turkey’s presidential press office said Tuesday. The European Union is now discussing a plan with Ankara to reduce the influx of refugees from Syria to Europe and offering it a package, including an aid of 3 billion euros ($3.4 billion).

Turkey is being urged to lift restrictions on media freedom, respect human rights and relaunch peace talks with Kurdish militants.

On Wednesday, a-road solution in Turkey was murdered by flying shrapnel after his vehicle went over an explosive system considered to have now been set by Kurdish militants along with a policeman was hurt, security sources said.