Macron warns Turkey its human rights abuses are blocking full membership of EU
THE prospect of Turkey joining the European Union as a fully-fledged member is “hypocrisy”, according to Emmanuel Macron, who added that progress on the application was not possible given human rights concerns.
Mr Macron made the remarks during a tense press conference with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president. The French president warned against flouting the rule of law and freedom of expression, while his counterpart accused some writers and journalists of acting as “the gardeners” of terrorism.
During the exchange, the authoritarian Turkish leader, who ordered the arrest of up 55,000 people in the wake of last year’s failed coup, said his country was “exhausted” after 54 years in the “antechamber” of the EU.
“This is seriously exhausting us and seriously exhausting our nation. Maybe this will force us to take a decision,” he said, without specifying what that might be. In October, he warned that Turkey no longer needed to join the EU but would “not be the side which gives up” on accession talks.
But Mr Macron said that political developments in Turkey were effectively blocking its EU accession bid. “For relations with the European Union, it is clear that recent developments and choices allow no progress in the process,” Mr Macron said. He said both sides needed to leave behind the “hypocrisy” of believing the process was progressing naturally to “opening new chapters”.
Mr Macron suggested that the pair should work towards a “partnership”, rather than full membership, to ensure that “Turkey remains anchored in Europe”. After signing multi-billion euro trade agreements and lauding exemplary cooperation in tackling terror, the French president said he had discussed a number of specific cases of journalists and academics under arrest.
Mr Erdoğan hit back that some journalists helped nurture terrorists through their writing.
“Terror doesn’t form by itself. Terror and terrorists have gardeners,” the Turkish leader retorted.