- Title: EU parliament vote on Turkey breaches European values - Ankara
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, MUSTAFA SUNGUR, SAYING: "This is good news for us. It's good news for Turkey. It's good they voted this way. They made us wait nearly for a century. I congratulate them for taking this decision. I appreciate their move. We will continue to follow our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan)." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, SENER ALTUN, SAYING: "As our president said it doesn't matter if they halt the talks or not. They stalled us until now and it's enough. It doesn't matter anymore. It is not a problem." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, FIKRET KOSELE, SAYING: "I think they overreacted. They should consider Turkey's conditions and react accordingly." VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS WALKING
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 15:25
- Keywords: Turkey EU membership negotations
- Location: ADANA, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ADANA, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00259T14XZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Ankara's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on Thursday (November 24) a vote by European Union lawmakers to temporarily halt Turkey's membership talks with the bloc breached basic European values.
European Union voted in favour of a motion to temporarily halt EU membership talks with Turkey because of Ankara's "disproportionate" reaction to July's failed coup.
"Those who took this decision today were not with us on July 16 and they have breached the basic values that European Parliament symbolizes by taking this decision," Celik said.
"This decision lacks vision and when we look at its goals and its language, we do not take this decision seriously," he added.
Residents of Istanbul said Thursday's vote was irrelevant as the bloc has been stalling Turkey's entry for years.
"They made us wait nearly for a century. I congratulate them for taking this decision. I appreciate their move. We will continue to follow our president (Recep Tayyip Erdogan)," said Mustafa Sungur, Istanbul resident.
Members of the European Parliament voted 479 to 37 in favor of a non-binding motion urging the European Commission and national governments to institute what lawmakers acknowledge would be a largely symbolic freeze in negotiations that have been going on for 11 years but have long been stalled.
Neither side expects Turkey to be in a position to join the EU for very many years to come.
The European Union voiced grave concern about Turkey's crackdown on opponents since a failed July coup.
More than 125,000 people - including soldiers, academics, judges, journalists and Kurdish leaders - have been detained or dismissed over their alleged backing for the putsch, in what opponents, rights groups and some Western allies say is an attempt to crush all dissent. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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