PanARMENIAN.Net - Belgium's prime minister said Friday, May 5 the time has come for the European Union to make a final decision about Turkey's "dead end" bid for membership, saying that after months of provocations from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, "masochism must have its limits," The Associated Press reports exclusively.
"Here and now, I have impression that the membership process is not the right framework to have a successful dialogue with Turkey," Charles Michel said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Austria is also seeking to end Turkey's membership bid, and a growing group of countries say they've realized acting as if Turkey is still a constructive partner would amount to a charade.
"Let's be frank — for several months now there is an acceleration in the process of the Turkish government turning its back on European values," Michel said.
Erdogan recently won a referendum that expands his powers, and he has had equally harsh words for the EU. He has also said he may hold a referendum on whether the country should continue its membership efforts.
The suppression of an attempted coup last summer and the resulting purge of tens of thousands of people from government jobs have been widely criticized in Europe as a move toward authoritarianism. Erdogan's campaign ...
Read full story
