Turkey criticises EU over stalled accession talks

Ankara, Dec 18 (IANS) Turkey has criticised the European Union (EU) over stalled accession talks, saying that the bloc's policies are "detached from reality" and "based on ideological motives."The General Affairs Council of the EU on Tuesday expressed concern over Turkey's democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights, adding that "Turkey's accession negotiations effectively have come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing."The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decisions adopted by the EU have shown once again that the bloc approaches enlargement within the framework of "membership solidarity, not from a strategic perspective", Xinhua news agency reported. These policies do not contribute to Turkey-EU relations and do not serve the general interests of Europe, the statement added."We are surprised to see that the EU acts as an interest group based on bargaining, not as a set of principles or values while making these decisions," said the ministry.In 2018, negotiations between Ankara and Brussels for Turkey's accession to the bloc were frozen over what the EU called Turkey's backsliding with regard to democracy and the rule of law.The EU and Turkey have tensions over several questions -- the eastern Mediterranean, the Cyprus issue, regional conflicts such as Libya and Syria, and democratic standards.
--IANS int/shs

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