The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the European Commission’s annual report on Türkiye’s long-stalled bid to join the bloc was biased and biased.
A report by the Commission, Wednesday, criticized Türkiye’s dangerous decline with regard to democratic standards, the rule of law, human rights, and the independence of the judiciary.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We categorically reject the baseless allegations and biased criticism, especially with regard to political standards and the chapter on the judiciary and fundamental rights”.
The European Commission also noted that Türkiye didn’t adhere to the principles of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms in its fight against terrorism.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that these criticisms are unfair and reflect the insincerity of the approach and the clear double standards in the European Union, adding that issues of basic rights are a matter of disagreement even among EU member states.
The European Commission’s report aims to show Türkiye’s latest progress towards achieving EU membership standards and may cast a shadow over relations already tense due to immigration and more recently due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Türkiye’s efforts to join the European Union have been faltering for years after launching membership talks in 2005.
