Speech: Statement by President Barroso following the meeting with Prime Minister Erdoğan of Turkey / Turkish premier Erdogan resists EU call to rethink legal reforms

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details SPEECH/14/43 (21.01.14)
Publication Date 21/01/2014
Content Type

On 21 January 2014 European Commission President Barroso met with Prime-Minister Erdoğan of Turkey in Brussels. It was the first visit by the Turkish PM to the EU capital for five years. Mr Erdogan held separate talks with the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.

The discussions centred around the state of play of EU-Turkey bilateral relations. President Barroso made clear that Turkey remained a very important partner and that the EU wished to continue deepening relations in their mutual interest.

EurActiv suggested that recent developments in a corruption scandal in Turkey marked a considerable setback in the EU-Turkey relationship.

EUObserver reported that Germany criticised Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan for the crackdown on the police and judiciary and indicated that the purge put EU accession talks at risk.

Euronews reported on the 23 January 2014 that Turkey’s Interior minister had ordered a further 470 police officers to be transferred or sacked from their jobs in the government-led purge of the country’s security services and judiciary.

On the 24 January 2014, the same news service suggested that the Turkish Prime Minister might be available to partially freeze the bill that would restructure the court system.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-43_en.htm
Related Links
EurActiv, 21.01.14: Turkey’s Erdoğan visits Brussels amid corruption scandal http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/turkey-erdogan-pays-brussels-vis-news-532899
EUObserver, 21.01.14: Germany criticises Turkish PM ahead of EU visit http://euobserver.com/foreign/122806
BBC News, 21.01.14: Turkey PM Erdogan gives new push to EU membership bid http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25824512
Hurriyet Daily News, 20.01.14: Turkish PM Erdoğan to press for EU membership timeline in Brussels http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-pm-erdogan-to-press-for-eu-membership-timeline-in-brussels.aspx?pageID=238&nID=61327&NewsCatID=338
ESO: Background information: Commission warns Turkey against purges of graft investigators http://www.europeansources.info/record/commission-warns-turkey-against-purges-of-graft-investigators/
ESO: Background information: Turkish government in crisis over corruption scandal http://www.europeansources.info/record/turkish-government-in-crisis-over-corruption-scandal/
European Council, PRES/14/20: Remarks by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy after his meeting with Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140694.pdf
European Parliament: Press Release, 22.01.14: Prime minister Erdoğan visits Parliament to discuss Turkey’s future in Europe http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140121STO33324/
Hürriyet Daily News, 21.01.14: Erdoğan profits from power struggle with EU (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE136917-Erdo-an-profits-from-power-struggle-with-EU
Corriere della Sera, 22.01.14: Brussels exercising caution with Erdoğan (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE136991-Brussels-exercising-caution-with-Erdo-an
Euronews, 21.01.14: Plans to reform Turkey’s justice system feature at EU/Turkey news conference http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/21/plans-to-reform-turkey-s-justice-system-feature-at-euturkey-news-conference/
Deutsche Welle, 21.01.14: Turkish premier Erdogan resists EU call to rethink legal reforms http://dw.de/p/1AuzE
The Guardian, 21.01.14: Brussels urges Turkish PM Erdoğan to redraft law purging police and judiciary http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/21/brussels-turkey-prime-minister-erdogan-rewrite-law-judiciary-police
Euronews, 21.01.14: A European perspective on Turkey’s possible justice reforms http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/21/a-european-perspective-on-turkey-s-possible-justice-reforms/
Deutsche Welle, 22.01.14: Turkey, EU talking at cross-purposes http://dw.de/p/1Av1w
France24, 21.01.14: EU and former ally pile pressure on Turkish PM http://www.france24.com/en/20140121-erdogan-under-attack-brussels-former-ally-eu-gulen-turkey/
EurActiv, 22.01.14: Brussels unimpressed with Turkey's internal struggles, sticks to principles http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/brussels-interested-respect-eu-p-news-532938
Euronews, 23.01.14: Turkey continues its police purge in response to graft probe http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/23/turkey-continues-its-police-purge-in-response-to-graft-probe/
Euronews, 24.01.14: Turkish PM steps back over bill http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/24/turkish-pm-steps-back-over-bill/
Blog: Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 29.01.14: Is Turkey on a Collision Course With the EU? http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=54352

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