Accession talks had been frozen for Turkey, and now EU officials have given a message that they expect “concrete positive steps” from Turkey. But Turkey will remain a candidate country.

One of the sanctions the Merkel government announced last week against the Erdoğan regime was cutting off EU aid to Turkey, and the AKP government rushed to Brussels when Berlin put the EU into motion.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and EU Minister Ömer Çelik met with EU officials in Brussels in a “Turkey-EU High Level Political Dialogue Meeting”. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn were present in the meeting representing the EU.

NO NEW CHAPTERS TO BE OPENED, AID WILL CONTINUE

According to the European press following the AKP committee, the meeting was unfruitful for the Turkish government. AKP ministers demanded Brussels expand the customs union agreement and waive visas for Turkey, despite harsh criticism by the EU and the freezing of the accession process.

But the EU officials both rejected Ankara’s demands and issued serious warnings for the AKP regime. Brussels demanded an end to the AKP regime’s oppression and stated that no new chapters will be opened. But the 4.4 billion Euro aid package planned as part of the accession process until 2020 won’t be cancelled.

German and Austrian officials in particular had demanded Brussels cancel this aid, but Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated that the aid will be cancelled in case all member states decide, and that it would mean an end to Ankara’s accession process.

“WE WANT A DEMOCRATIC TURKEY”

A press conference with both sides was held after the meeting. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini said the arrests of opposition members, journalists and human rights defenders in Turkey is cause for concern and continued:

“We stress today and have stressed in the past that the cooperation and dialogue between us should be sustainable with concrete positive steps in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. This includes the protection of human rights defenders and opposition politicians. Turkey is a candidate country, and it will remain so. We continue our intention to work with a safe, economically vibrant and democratic Turkey.”

Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn similarly said the arrests in Turkey is a source of concern and added: “We expect a legal process that conforms to the presumption of innocence principle in all lawsuits.”

Austrian EU official Hahn pointed out that Turkey has still not fulfilled 5 of the 72 criteria needed for the visa liberation for Turkish citizens and stressed that relationships will not advance unless Turkey fixes their bad standing in the areas of the rule of law and human rights.

Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn concluded with saying it is impossible to open new chapters in the accession talks with Turkey.