The European Parliament’s rapporteur called for the formal suspension of EU accession negotiations with Turkey.

The body based its resolution on the annual report drawn up by Kati Piri. the Hungarian-born Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament.
The MEP presented the preliminary report in Strasbourg on Turkey. As Cypriot media reports, the Dutch MEP said that “the European Parliament should recommend to the EU to officially suspend the talks on Turkey’s accession in the EU because the process has lost all credibility.”
The MEP welcomed the efforts of the United Nations to resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue in the framework of a fair, comprehensive and sustainable solution, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the European acquis. In this context, she urged Turkey to commit to and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to withdraw its troops from Cyprus, to return the enclosed area of Famagusta to the UN and to avoid actions that change the demographic balance on the island. She added that the Republic of Cyprus had every right to do oil explorations in its exclusive economic zone, while she called on Turkey to avoid any actions or threats that might result in negatively affecting relations with Cyprus.
Kati Piri said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintained excessive powers, something that limited the positive effect of the suspension of the state of emergency. She condemned the rising political intervention and executive control over the Turkish judicial process, while she went on to urge Turkish authorities to adopt serious reforms in the executive and judicial powers in order to comply with international law and human rights. The report will be put for discussion to the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on November 21.