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Euro MPs make new Turkey demands | Euro MPs make new Turkey demands |
(about 17 hours later) | |
European MPs have criticised Turkey's slow pace of reform and said it should recognise the massacre of Armenians in 1915 as genocide before joining the EU. | European MPs have criticised Turkey's slow pace of reform and said it should recognise the massacre of Armenians in 1915 as genocide before joining the EU. |
The European Parliament's foreign affairs committee members also urged more guarantees of freedom of expression and religion. | The European Parliament's foreign affairs committee members also urged more guarantees of freedom of expression and religion. |
Turkey began EU membership talks last year and its progress will be assessed by the European Commission in October. | Turkey began EU membership talks last year and its progress will be assessed by the European Commission in October. |
It denies the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians was genocide. | |
The report by the European Parliament foreign affairs committee will be voted by the whole parliament later this month. | The report by the European Parliament foreign affairs committee will be voted by the whole parliament later this month. |
It insists there are "persistent shortcomings" in areas such as freedom of expression, as well as religious, minority and women's rights. | It insists there are "persistent shortcomings" in areas such as freedom of expression, as well as religious, minority and women's rights. |
'Politically biased' | 'Politically biased' |
The Turkish foreign ministry responded by saying that elements of the report lacked realism, were politically biased, and set conditions for membership that were anything but objective. | The Turkish foreign ministry responded by saying that elements of the report lacked realism, were politically biased, and set conditions for membership that were anything but objective. |
Armenians say 1.5 million of their people were massacred by Turkish troops as part of efforts to drive them out of eastern Turkey in 1915. | Armenians say 1.5 million of their people were massacred by Turkish troops as part of efforts to drive them out of eastern Turkey in 1915. |
Ankara has always denied this was genocide, and insists the number of Armenian deaths has been exaggerated. | Ankara has always denied this was genocide, and insists the number of Armenian deaths has been exaggerated. |
The EU enlargement commissioner has already warned of the potential failure of Ankara's membership bid, the BBC's Alex Kroeger reports from Strasbourg. | The EU enlargement commissioner has already warned of the potential failure of Ankara's membership bid, the BBC's Alex Kroeger reports from Strasbourg. |
The MEPs' report says that accession negotiations could even come to a halt. | The MEPs' report says that accession negotiations could even come to a halt. |
The parliamentary rapporteur on Turkey, Dutch MEP Camille Eurlings, called the slowdown in reform regrettable and urged Turkey to make progress. | The parliamentary rapporteur on Turkey, Dutch MEP Camille Eurlings, called the slowdown in reform regrettable and urged Turkey to make progress. |
If there was no progress, he said, stagnation would mean regression. | If there was no progress, he said, stagnation would mean regression. |
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