Liberal MEP calls for a new EU-Turkey agenda

Member of the European Parliament, Marietje Schaake (ALDE/D66) calls for a new agenda for Turkey-EU relations. Schaake stated this in response to the progress reports presented by European Commissioner Füle regarding the candidate countries. "Good cooperation with Turkey, which provides the second largest army of NATO, is strategically essential with regard to the explosive situation in the Middle East. At the same time, there are grave worries about censorship and deterioration of the rule of law in Turkey. Europe must not sweep these problems under the rug now that strategic cooperation is critical," Schaake said. "The accession negotiations between the EU and Turkey have been very difficult and have to be re-ignited with new energy. By opening the negotiation chapter on fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, Europe shows how much it cares about progress in these areas. Furthermore, Turkey should reform its anti-terrorism laws, and we should work together more concretely, to make sure that no jihadists travel through Turkey to enter into Iraq or Syria and to prevent their return back to Europe."