Turkey does not deserve a place in the EU

At the Foreign Affairs Commission of the European Parliament, which convened an emergency session to discuss the situation in Turkey, MEP Mark Demesmaeker issued a strong plea to finally put a lid on the Turkish prospect of joining the EU. Mark Demesmaeker directly addressed Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner authorised with enlargement negotiations.

Johannes Hahn said that the European Commission will immediately stop enlargement negotiations with Turkey if the country reintroduces the death penalty. But in the opinion of Mark Demesmaeker, Erdogan’s regime has already crossed the line several times: “The repression of the Kurds is no less barbaric than the death penalty. A country that undermines the rule of law, commits large-scale human rights violations, jails reporters, and silences media criticism and political opposition does not deserve a place in the European Union. It is high time for the Commission to acknowledge this reality.”