Turkey accuses EU of bigotry

EurActiv reported that Turkey accused the European Union of bias and bigoted attitudes towards the EU candidate country on the 31 December 2012 and blamed it for undermining the Turkish public's trust in the bloc.

Turkey criticised the European Commission's latest report on its progress towards EU membership as it presented for the first time its own report highlighting its reforms over 2012.

Later in January 2013 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned the big wheel of geopolitics in a late-night TV show, calling the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) a more promising alternative for Turkey to membership of the EU.

BBC News, 01.01.13: Turkey hits back at EU criticism over membership bid http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20882239

European Commission: SWD(2012)336: Commission Staff Working Documenrt: Turkey 2012 Progress Report http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2012/package/tr_rapport_2012_en.pdf

Turkey: Ministry of European Affairs http://www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=46&l=2

Turkey: Ministry of European Affairs: 2012 Progress Report for Turkey http://www.abgs.gov.tr/index.php?p=48402&l=2

https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/countries/detailed-country-information/turkey_en https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/countries/detailed-country-information/turkey_en

ESO: Background information: Turkey and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/relations-with-turkey/

ESO: Background information: Gul urges Turkey to stay on EU path http://www.europeansources.info/record/gul-urges-turkey-to-stay-on-eu-path/

Milliyet, 31.01.13: Erdogan looks east for a little love (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/3347311-erdogan-looks-east-little-love

Huffington Post, 29.01.13: Turkey, Weary of the EU, Tiptoes Towards the Shanghai Five http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yavuz-baydar/turkey-shanghai-five_b_2566091.html

Europolitics, 28.01.13: Erdogan: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation an alternative to EU http://www.europolitics.info/external-policies/erdogan-shanghai-cooperation-organisation-an-alternative-to-eu-art347569-41.html

---