NEWS CENTER - The EU has decided the full membership negotiations, which were not ensured progress, with Turkey to stay as frozen.

 

At the preparation meeting to the EU year-end Leaders Summit, it was decided the full membership negotiations, which were not ensured progress, with Turkey to stay as frozen. In the decision taken at the General Affairs Council of the European Union (EU), stated as, ‘’The Council of European Union regretfully notes that Turkey is moving away from the EU more and more’’.

 

Human rights violations were criticized

 

According to the news of Deutsche Welle (DW) Turkish, in the decision emphasizing that Turkey is gradually moving away from the EU line in foreign policy and clashing with the priorities of the EU on this issue, the example of Libya was given. In the decision, which drew attention to the illegal shipments of weapons from Turkey to the government forces in Libya, Turkey’s violation of the Customs Union Agreement with the EU was condemned. Human rights violations in Turkey were criticized.

 

It was noted that the regressions in human rights, democracy and fundamental rights, as well as in freedom of thought and independence of the judiciary, cause ‘’deep concern’’. It was stated that non-governmental organizations continued to work under pressure.

 

Negotiations between the EU and Turkey

 

The membership negotiations between Turkey and the EU, which started in 2005, have come to a stopping point due to the political and diplomatic crises experienced in recent years. The accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU are theoretically conducted over 35 chapters. In the last 16 years, 16 chapters in the accession negotiations have been opened, while only one of them has been temporarily closed.