European Parliament Votes to Suspend Turkey Membership Talks

Erdoğan Threatens to ‘Open Border Gates’ to Allow Migrants to Flow into EU

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his government will open its border gates to allow migrants to flow into Europe if it is pushed any further by the EU. It comes after lawmakers in the bloc voted to halt membership talks with Ankara.

Erdoğan Threatens EU with New Refugee Surge

Turkey's President says he'll open the border for refugees to flood into Europe, if the European Union continues to threaten his country.

Stay Out of EU Affairs, Leading MEP Tells British Government

THE GUARDIAN: Manfred Weber warns UK not to meddle in bloc’s post-Brexit business as he criticises Boris Johnson’s ‘unbelievable arrogance’

The British government has been given a blunt warning to stay out of the EU’s post-Brexit business by a senior leader in the European parliament, who lambasted Boris Johnson for his “unbelievable arrogance” and insisted Britain would have “no say any more” in the long-term future of Europe.

Manfred Weber, the leader of the largest centre-right group in the European parliament, criticised the British foreign secretary for his support of Turkey’s EU membership, which has infuriated European politicians. » | Jennifer Rankin and Rowena Mason | Tuesday, November 22, 2016

David Cameron Refuses to Say If He Will Veto Turkey Joining the EU

UK: Cameron 'Most Vocal Supporter of Turkey Joining EU' – Farage (03.06.2016)

Nigel Farage Warns on Turkey Integration in EU: It's Crazy, Stupid and Damned Dangerous

Anti-Muslim Dutch Leader Wilders Opposes Turkey Joining EU, Says Doesn't Want More But Less Islam

DAILY SABAH: Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, the most popular politician in the Netherlands, has told Turks "you are not welcome here" in a video that takes aim at Turkey's hopes of joining the European Union.

Wilders, who is fiercely Islamophobic, has surged in public opinion polls with his call for the closing of national borders in the face of a refugee crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, fleeing to Europe this year to escape conflicts and poverty in the Middle East and beyond. » | Reuters | Amsterdam | Friday, 4. December 2015

Belgium: EU and Turkey Agree €3bn Package for Syrian Refugees, Confirms Tusk

President of the European Council Donald Tusk confirmed on Sunday that a “major step towards changing the rules of the game when it comes to stemming the migration flow that is coming to the EU via Turkey” is coming from a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker following the Heads of States of the European Union with Turkey meeting.

Belgium: EU to 'Re-energise Relations with Turkey' at Brussels Talks - Tusk

European Union leaders met in Brussels, Sunday, to coordinate plans with Turkey on stemming the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe. President of the European Council Donald Tusk announced that "after many weeks of hard work and tough talks, we have reached an agreement which I hope will be accepted today by all parties concerned."

Belgium: EU Slams Turkey’s Human Rights Record in Accession Report

“Turkey needs to commit to renewed reforms in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental human rights,” stated European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn during a press briefing at the European Commission in Brussels, Tuesday. Hahn’s comments follow the release of a report on Tuesday, assessing the country's potential candidacy to join the EU, while highlighting Ankara’s alleged crackdown on media outlets and potential human rights abuses.

Golden Throne: Germany Looks toward Turkey for Help on Growing Refugee Crisis

Merkel is promising to speed up Turkey's application for EU membership - if Ankara stems the refugee flow across its borders. The German Chancellor traveled to Istanbul to discuss the refugee crisis... she also offered to lift EU visa restrictions for Turks.

Germany Ready to Support Turkey's EU Accession Process, Says Merkel

DEUTSCHE WELLE: During a visit aimed at securing Ankara's help in stemming a migrant influx to Europe, Chancellor Merkel has said Germany will support Turkey's EU membership bid. Turkish PM Davutoglu hailed Europe's "better approach."

Germany is ready to accelerate Turkey's EU accession process, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday at a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Merkel spoke of organizing the accession process "more dynamically."

"Germany is ready this year to open Chapter 17, and make preparations for (Chapters) 23 and 24. We can talk about the details," she said.

Merkel's statement came as she visited Turkish leaders on Sunday in a bid to secure Ankara's support in stemming the current migrant influx into the EU. » | ls/tj (Reuters, AFP, dpa) | Sunday, October 18, 2015

Turkey Rejects Offer of EU Membership in Exchange for Halting Refugee Influx

THE TELEGRAPH: Turkey says plan agreed by EU officials for joint action on migrants amounts to 'bribery'

Turkey has brushed off the offer of EU membership in exchange for halting the refugee influx as “bribery”, hours after European leaders sought to buy the country’s co-operation at a price of £2 billion.

Racep Tayyip Erdogan, the man Europe hopes can hold back a vast new wave of migrants, ridiculed an offer of visas, cash and a fresh chapter of accession talks drawn up by European leaders last night.

If Brussels wants his co-operation, nothing less than full EU membership will do, the president said, adding that the offer did not appear to be “sincere”.

“The West and Europe's security and stability is contingent on our security and stability. They have accepted this now. So if it can't happen without Turkey, why don't you take Turkey into the EU? The problem is clear but they are not open,” he said.

Mr Erdogan’s determination to drive a hard bargain with Europe came as Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, prepared to travel to Turkey this weekend to try build momentum for a workable deal with Ankara. » | Matthew Holehouse, Brussels and Peter Foster, Europe Editor | Friday, October 16, 2015

David Cameron: I Still Want Turkey to Join EU, Despite Migrant Fears

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Prime Minister says a European Union without Turkey is 'not stronger but weaker'

David Cameron has said that he still “very much supports” Turkey joining the European Union, despite his Government's inability to control numbers of EU migrants coming to the UK.

The Prime Minister was quizzed about his support for Turkey’s accession to the EU during a visit to Turkey to meet the country’s Prime Minister and President.

Mr Cameron said he had discussed Turkey’s accession to the EU during talks in Ankara on Tuesday afternoon with Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Prime Minister.

The visit was his first since 2010 when he told the Turks the backed the country’s goal of joining the EU. He said then that he wanted to “make the case” for Turkey’s EU membership.

Asked if he still felt that way despite his Government’s inability to control inward migration from EU countries and bring net migration down to the tens of thousands of people, he said that he had discussed it again with Turkish Prime Minister.

He said: “In terms of Turkish membership of the EU, I very much support that.

“That’s a longstanding position of British foreign policy which I support. We discussed that again in our talks today”.

In a speech at the Turkish parliament in Ankara in July 2010, Mr Cameron said: “I’m here to make the case for Turkey's membership of the EU. And to fight for it.” » | Christopher Hope, Ankara, Turkey | Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Turkey 'Will Probably Never Be EU Member'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Turkey will probably never become a member of the European Union because of stiff opposition and "prejudiced" attitudes from current members, a senior Turkish minister has admitted.

In the first such admission, Egemen Bagis, minister for European Union affairs, said that his country had to accept that its long cherished goal of joining the EU was likely to end in disappointment.

Turkey would, he said, probably end up with a similar status as Norway in relation to the EU, which is not a member but has access to the single market through free trade agreements.

"In the long run I think Turkey will end up like Norway. We will be at European standards, very closely aligned but not as a member," he said, adding that his prediction would only change unless attitudes changed towards his country, which would be the first Muslim nation to join the bloc.

Mr Begis, who is also Turkey's chief negotiator with the EU, said that despite modernising and growing its economy, his country was the victim of "prejudice" in its treatment by the EU and its defeated Olympic bid. » | Alex Spillius, Yalta | Saturday, September 21, 2013

EU Rebukes Turkey on Crackdown by Delaying Entry Talks
EU has rebuked Turkey for its crackdown on anti-government protesters, postponing a new round of membership talks for at least four months, but said the path to the EU remained open.

EU Delays Turkey Membership Talks After German Pressure
BBC: EU foreign ministers have backed a German proposal to postpone further EU membership talks with Turkey for about four months.

The EU-Turkey talks had been scheduled to resume this Wednesday.

But Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have criticised Turkey's crackdown on anti-government protests.

Turkish police arrested at least 20 people in the capital Ankara on Tuesday, suspected of attacking police during the recent unrest in Istanbul.

Turkish media say the suspects are also accused of belonging to a "terror organisation".

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle played down tensions with Turkey on Tuesday, saying he had had a "really good, constructive" discussion with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday evening.

Mr Davutoglu was upbeat, saying he saw "no obstacle" to reopening Turkey's talks with the EU eventually.

Turkey began accession negotiations with the EU in 2005, at the same time as Croatia, which will join the 27-nation bloc next week.

But Turkey's talks have been stalled for three years, and an EU Commission report on Ankara's progress last October highlighted numerous concerns about democracy and human rights.

Like all would-be member states, Turkey has to satisfy a detailed set of EU requirements, called the acquis. Last year Turkey received 856m euros (£727m; $1.1bn) in EU aid to help it make the necessary institutional reforms.>br />
Diplomatic tussle

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel wants Turkey to have a privileged partnership with the EU, rather than full EU membership. She hopes to win re-election in September - before the talks with Turkey resume.

Last week Germany summoned the Turkish ambassador in a row over Turkey's membership bid.

The two countries had earlier exchanged angry words in connection with the Turkish police action against demonstrators. Turkish police have used water cannon and tear gas against protesters - a crackdown widely seen to have fuelled anger against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. » | Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Turkey's EU Membership Bid Falters as Diplomatic Row with Germany Deepens

THE GUARDIAN: Efforts to resume negotiations and break three-year stalemate dashed in wake of Ankara's ruthless response to street protests

Turkey's chances of a breaking a three-year stalemate and relaunching its bid to join the European Union look like being dashed because of the government's ruthless response to three weeks of street protests amid worsening friction between Ankara and Berlin.

The foreign ministry in Berlin summoned the Turkish ambassador to Germany on Friday to explain the harsh language directed at the chancellor, Angela Merkel, by Egemen Bağis, the Turkish official in charge of negotiations with the EU.

Merkel had said earlier this week that she was "appalled at the very tough" response by the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in ordering riot police to clear central Istanbul of thousands of protesters last weekend.

Bağis accused the chancellor of playing domestic politics, said that anyone using Turkey for political purposes would suffer "an inauspicious end" and warned of severe retaliation if the negotiations were called off.

Turkey opened negotiations to join the EU eight years ago, at the same time as Croatia. While Croatia joins next week as the 28th member, Turkey's bid has been frozen for three years and it has closed just one of the 35 chapters of EU law required to complete the accession. Another 12 chapters have been opened.

Merkel and the German centre-right remain firmly opposed to Turkey joining. Her Christian Democrats' draft manifesto for the general elections in September states: "We reject full membership for Turkey because it does not meet the conditions for EU entry. Additionally, the EU would be overstretched because of [Turkey's] size and because of its economic structures."

Exasperated by the slow progress, Ankara has taken to warning that the EU needs Turkey more than it needs Europe. The Germans, French and Dutch take a different view. » | Ian Traynor in Istanbul | Friday, June 21, 2013

Turkey Looks to Join the EU as Greece Might Exit
Turkey is seeking to revive its stalled bid to join the European Union, at a time of mounting fears its neighbor and longtime rival, Greece, could become the first country forced to exit the euro-zone. WSJ's Joe Parkinson reports.

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