MEPs have adopted plans to suspend accession talks with Turkey should controversial changes to its constitution go ahead. We talked to report author Kati Piri.

Is it time for Turkey and the EU to go their separate ways? Developments in Turkey continue to concern MEPs, especially regarding human rights and the upcoming reform of the constitution to give the country’s president more powers. On 5 July they debated Turkey’s recent efforts towards joining the EU and on 6 July also adopted a resolution, asking for EU accession talks to be suspended if the proposed changes to the Turkish constitution go ahead. To find out more we talked to report author Kati Piri, a Dutch member of the S&D group.

What would be the Parliament’s red lines? What would be the impact of suspending the talks?

If Turkey would reintroduce the death penalty again, if they bring this constitutional package into force,  there can be no other consequence than to stop talking about integrating Turkey into the EU. That doesn’t mean we should stop all forms of cooperation.

The impact of suspending talks in terms of finances would be several hundred million euros a year, which go with pre-accession funds to Turkey. The Parliament asks that if the suspension comes into force to use this money to directly fund civil society in Turkey. But of course politically, if we come to that point, this will mean that 60 years of Turkey trying to move closer to Europe is coming to a drastic end.

Although relations with Turkey have deteriorated, it remains a key partner on issues such as migration and terrorism. How do we ensure we still maintain a meaningful cooperation?

Turkey is despite the policies of this government a very important partner in many fields. So this Parliament is not saying, let’s stop cooperating with Turkey.

Europe is cooperating with many countries in the world which are not in accession negotiations. We are trying to make agreements on for instance migration with many countries which aren’t even on the European continent.

What option does the EU have to promote democracy and human rights in Turkey?

The EU has to change its current policy. Right now EU leaders, except for this European Parliament, choose a strategy awaiting, hoping, that things will one day go better in Turkey. They are not setting limits. With that they are boosting authoritarianism in the country.

You cannot just sit around, wait, and talk nice with President Erdogan while you see that the situation inside Turkey is only further and further deteriorating. The EU has to speak out and that is what this Parliament is doing.

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