European officials held talks Thursday with Turkish officials over Ankara’s EU membership bid, expressing concern over its human rights record.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn’s talks in the Turkish capital addressed priority issues, including rule of law and human rights.
The EU has strong concerns over the large number of journalists and academics who are still being detained in Turkey, Hahn said after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Mogherini said she had expressed strong concerns in talks with Cavusoglu about the recent detentions of academics, and said she hoped detained pro-Kurdish politician, Selahattin Demirtas, would be released soon.
The European officials’ visit comes days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled Turkey would not abide by a European Court of Human Rights ruling calling for Demirtas’ release.
His words deepened concerns about human rights and the rule of law in the country, despite the country's pledge this summer to undertake reforms.
Earlier this month, Hahn said it would be "more honest" for the EU to give up on membership talks with Turkey.
