Borrell calls on Turkey to refrain from taking unilateral actions

High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell  has called on Turkey to refrain from taking unilateral actions.

Speaking at the European Parliament plenary ,  Borrell  said Turkey has to refrain from taking unilateral actions. This is a basic element to allow the dialogue to advance -well, better, to start.

” There are still some days, the reaching out continues hoping that the European Council will be able to develop a constructive approach to our relations with Turkey, which are –I can say that firmly- at a watershed moment in history. The world will go one side or the other, depending on what is going to happen on the next days,” he added.

In terms of domestic developments in Turkey, Borrell  said: “we perceive a worrying backsliding in the area of rule of law and fundamental freedoms that continues to raise our concerns. We still fail to see Turkey delivering on its promises to take effective measures on strengthening the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.”

He went on to say: ” Turkey’s serious backsliding away from European Union values and reforms and tense relations with several Member States led the Council to decide in 2018 for a “standstill” of the accession negotiations and suspension of work on modernising the Customs Union. These were commitments that we took with Turkey on the 2016’s agreement and in 2018 the Council decided to standstill on these negotiations and suspend the work on modernising the Customs Union. With the serious developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkish foreign policy actions in the region since last fall, things have become even more worrying and complex. As I said, this is a watershed moment in history on our relations with Turkey.

Source: Agencies