T-Online.de/T

In its report, the EU referred to the arrest of 150,000 people since the imposition of the state of emergency and stated that civil society had come “under increasing pressure”. More than 150 journalists are in custody.

Despite this development, Turkey remains “a key strategic neighbor,” said Hahn. The EU will therefore continue its cooperation in areas “which are in the mutual interest”. Hahn mentioned the supply of 3.5 million civil war refugees from Syria, which is funded by the EU with billions.

Sources used: AFP

Brussels (dpa) – The negotiations on Turkey’s membership in the EU should be officially abandoned in the opinion of the responsible EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

T-Online.de/TV

Nursing home action causes a stir

Macron reports from quarantine with a video message

MPs reckon with sexism in the Bundestag

Trump casino is blown up – who can push the button?

Instagram star dies after cosmetic surgery

Elephant cow gives birth – reaction of the herd amazes

US Vice President Pence vaccinated against Corona

NASA mission enables a first look inside Mars

These rules apply to your fireworks in the garden

Spahn asks for patience when distributing the vaccine

Strange beer appearance in the US Parliament

Suddenly there is no stopping the minister

Container use due to Corona causes a stir

Towing service has a bad surprise

Winter weather causes chaos on the US east coast

“I think in the long term it would be more honest for Turkey and the EU to break new ground and end the accession talks,” said the Austrian Hahn of “Welt”. The adherence to the accession negotiations that have been ongoing since 2005 have so far blocked the way for a “realistic, strategic partnership”.

Against the background of Hahn’s statements, the deputy chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, called on the federal government to also demand an end to the accession talks. “Instead of only temporarily freezing the negotiations and adapting the pre-accession aid, the member states must finally draw conclusions in the light of the political reality,” commented the opposition politician.

European Minister of State Michael Roth, however, categorically rejected the demands. “To discuss breaking off the negotiations is a mere sham debate,” said the SPD politician to the “Tagesspiegel” (Wednesday). In the accession talks with Turkey, nothing is currently moving anyway. In addition, the doors of the EU should remain open, at least formally, provided concrete steps are taken in Ankara to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the protection of minorities.

In order to officially suspend or even break off the accession negotiations with Turkey, a decision by the EU member states would be necessary.123helpme.me Until recently, however, the required majorities were not foreseeable among them. During discussions on the subject in June, it was only stated that negotiations have practically come to a standstill and that only fundamental changes in Turkey could allow progress.

In this context, the EU states noted deeply worrying setbacks in terms of the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedom of expression. The action against journalists, academics, human rights activists, opposition politicians and users of social media could not be tolerated, it said in a statement adopted in June.

The migration crisis is considered one of the reasons for holding on to Turkey’s EU candidate status. In the view of many states, the withdrawal of status could endanger the refugee pact with the country. It is seen as one reason why significantly fewer migrants are currently coming to Europe than in 2015.

The pact stipulates that the EU can send back all migrants who come illegally via Turkey to the Greek islands. In return, EU states take refugees from Syria in need of protection from Turkey and finance aid for refugees living in Turkey. So far, the country has taken in a total of almost 3.6 million refugees.

As a possible alternative to the EU accession talks, Hahn named talks about expanding the customs union with Turkey in an interview with Die Welt. However, the EU states had ruled out this for the time being in June.

Hahn supports his compatriot and party friend Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) with his open positioning. The Austrian Chancellor is considered to be the most prominent advocate of an official break in accession negotiations with Turkey. So far, however, he has hardly any supporters among the heads of state and government. Turkey rejects an amicable break in the accession talks. Rather, the country demands not only to continue the fallow negotiations, but even to expand them.

Brussels (dpa) – Despite unanswered human rights issues, the EU is pushing ahead with the accession talks with Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu was received in Brussels at a meeting of his European counterparts. A new chapter of negotiations on the economic integration of Turkey into the EU is then to be officially opened. In addition to the new talks with Turkey, the official start of the EU accession negotiations with Serbia is also on the agenda.

Brussels (dpa) – Despite open human rights issues: In view of the refugee crisis, the EU has opened a new chapter in the negotiations on Turkey’s accession. There is a mutual interest in cooperation, said Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Brussels at the start of talks on Turkey’s economic integration into the EU. The situation is currently very favorable for making progress in the negotiations. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier made it clear, however, that there are currently major obstacles in the way of Turkey’s accession to the EU.

Former Federal President Roman Herzog has sharply criticized Romania’s and Bulgaria’s planned accession to the European Union in January: “It’s a scandal, utter nonsense,” Herzog told Focus magazine. “Both countries should like to participate in the EU, but then they have to do their homework first.” After all, what did the EU define criteria for readiness for membership “if they do not have to be complied with”?

Next EU enlargement decision in autumn

“It contradicts common sense” With its lax attitude the Union is fueling the disaffection with Europe. This is exactly “the reason why the votes on the EU constitutional treaty in France and the Netherlands were lost,” said Herzog. Bundestag Vice-President Gerda Hasselfeldt expressed similar reservations: “It is contrary to common sense that the date of membership was set before the criteria were even met,” she said.

Kauder: Nothing can be changed The chairman of the CDU and CSU parliamentary groups, Volker Kauder, insisted that nothing could be changed about the admission of Romania and Bulgaria. Regarding the objections from his group, which mainly refer to the lack of rule of law in Bulgaria, Kauder told the magazine: “Under the pressure of accession, the fight against corruption and organized crime is making better progress.”

“The mistake has just happened” Hesse’s Prime Minister and CDU presidium member Roland Koch made it clear that there was hardly any opposition to be expected from the Union-governed states in the Federal Council. “The mistake just happened,” he said. There is “no doubt that accession will come. So we shouldn’t try any artificial delay now.”

EU is still waiting The EU Commission had not given a recommendation in its progress reports on Tuesday for the date of the admission of Bulgaria and Romania. This should only happen in October because both countries still have to meet important conditions, it was said to justify.

In the dispute over Cyprus, the EU Commission threatens Turkey to break off the accession negotiations that began 13 months ago if Ankara does not move by mid-December. This emerges from the progress report that EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn wanted to present in Brussels on Wednesday, as the AFP news agency learned from EU circles. If the EU Commission realizes its threat, the heads of state and government of the European Union might have to decide on sanctions against Ankara at their summit meeting in Brussels in mid-December.

Turkey question Turkey report Commission wants to postpone decision Stoiber railed “Freezing of further negotiationsEU accession negotiations Bad grades for TurkeyMerkel in Turkey

The EU is asking Ankara to open the Turkish ports and airports to the Greek Republic of Cyprus, which has been a member of the EU since 2004. If this does not happen in the next five weeks, the EU Commission will make “the necessary recommendations” for the summit, according to EU circles. So far, Turkey has refused to expand the agreed customs union to Cyprus. In return, she calls on the EU to end the isolation of the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Ankara completely different opinion Meanwhile, the Turkish government showed no reluctance: The Cyprus problem is a political problem and has nothing to do with the accession negotiations, Ankara said on Wednesday. The future of the EU depends on the political vision of its heads of government. Whether the accession talks will continue is “more the responsibility of the EU”.

Merkel tries a new attempt Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and EU Council President Matti Vanhanen agreed on a new attempt on Tuesday in Berlin to get Turkey to ratify the Ankara Agreement for a customs union with EU member Cyprus by the end of December to move. The CSU has already demanded that accession talks with Turkey be frozen.

Strasbourg (AP) – In its new report on Turkey, the EU Commission expresses devastating criticism of the policy of the Islamic-conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

News of the day

left 1 2 right

Beijing attacks AustraliaWhen does China’s “naked aggression” hit Germany? more

Confused tweet about cyber attack Trump defends Russians and accuses China. more

“Older people did not understand” MPs reckon with sexism in the Bundestag. more

For the first time, the Syrian government is bringing prisoner IS women back. more

“Turkey has moved away from the EU in great strides,” reads the assessment of the EU accession negotiations with the country. Specifically, for example, there is talk of a significant deterioration in the rule of law and freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

In its report, the EU Commission points out that since the introduction of the state of emergency after the failed coup in 2016, more than 150,000 people have been arrested. In addition, tens of thousands of officials were dismissed.

However, the Commission did not make a recommendation to officially suspend the accession talks with Turkey, which are practically on hold. From the point of view of the top of the commission, such a step could, for example, jeopardize the agreements on the refugee crisis. The refugee pact is one reason why significantly fewer migrants are currently coming to Europe than in 2015.

“The EU is and will remain a strategically important partner,” commented the EU enlargement commissioner responsible, Johannes Hahn. A recommendation for an official suspension of the accession negotiations also makes no sense because the majority of the EU member states are still against it.

In order to rebuild trust, the EU Commission is calling on Turkey to immediately lift the state of emergency that was imposed after the attempted coup in July 2016.

In addition to the developments in Turkey, the EU Commission also assessed the situation in the candidate countries Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The six Balkan states received a significantly better report card – even if they continue to face huge reform challenges.

Because of the progress made in Albania and Macedonia, the Commission has now even recommended starting official accession negotiations with the countries. Talks of this kind are currently only ongoing with Montenegro and Serbia. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are only considered potential candidates for negotiations.

The final decision on opening accession negotiations with Albania and Macedonia must now be made by the EU member states. However, it is questionable whether there is the necessary unanimity in their group. Macedonia’s neighbor Greece has so far blocked any rapprochement between the country and NATO and the EU because of a name dispute. The dispute is about Greece wanting Macedonia to change its name. The reason is that the northern part of Greece also bears the name Macedonia.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned all Balkan countries in general on Tuesday against too high expectations. He sees a reform and deepening of the European Union as a condition for the possible accession of the Western Balkans.

The federal government, too, had recently repeatedly warned against being too optimistic. Above all, she was critical of the fact that the EU Commission had promised the Western Balkans that they would be able to join the EU by 2025 if they reformed them accordingly.

For Albania, however, the recommendation for accession talks should be good news. The country with three million inhabitants is one of the poorest in Europe. Despite great progress, corruption persists in all areas of society, economy and government. Those who can try to get abroad – especially to Italy on the other side of the Adriatic.

Macedonia can also use some hope. The small country with 2.1 million inhabitants suffers from its national problems. An estimated a quarter to a third of the citizens are Albanians. The Slav majority can hardly come to terms with the fact that according to the new laws the minority has to be represented proportionally in authorities and in the education system.

Bulgaria and Romania still have to wait for an exact date when they can join the EU.