#Turkey: ‘Ba cheart idirbheartaíocht aontachais a reo’ a deir Manfred Weber

"The EU needs to send a clear message to Turkey. For the EPP Group, accession negotiations should be frozen as they cannot continue under the current circumstances. Should Turkey reintroduce the death penalty, we need to make very clear as well that such a country cannot become a member of the European Union," said Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, during his plenary speech on EU-Turkey relations in the European Parliament today (22 November).

"Turkish people can be proud of the fact that they managed to defend the rule of law and democracy against the military during the attempted coup, back in July. The putsch was a violation of people’s rights. But it should not be misused now. Thousands of civil servants have been fired. Press freedom is limited. Media outlets have been closed down. Politicians, freely-elected MPs, are in prison. These developments are very worrying," Weber said.

"Sovereignty should not be based on fear. Sovereignty that is based solely on weapons cannot be maintained, said Atatürk. We want to make this appeal: Turkey is a friend and a partner. Turkey should change its course - in the interest of its own citizens,” Weber concluded.