Turkey digs in heels over terrorism law, to EU's chagrin
Turkey refused again on May 11 to make changes to its anti-terrorism laws demanded by Brussels in a hardening of its stance that could jeopardize a major deal with the bloc covering migrants, free travel and militants.
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| Turkish EU Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir reacts during a press conference in Helsinki, Finland, March 23, 2016. |
EU officials and rights groups have accused Turkey of using broad anti-terrorism legislation to stifle dissent. Ankara says it needs the laws to battle Kurdish militants at home and threats from Islamic State in neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Brussels wants Ankara to narrow its legal definition of terrorism and change some other laws to meet EU standards - as part of the wide-ranging deal to secure Turkish help in reducing the flow of migrants into Europe.
But Ankara's minister for EU affairs, Volkan Bozkir, told broadcaster NTV Turkish legislation already met EU standards.
"It is not possible for us to accept any changes to the counter-terrorism law," Bozkir said, echoing earlier comments by President Tayyip Erdogan who last week told the European Union: "We're going our way, you go yours."
Bozkir's assertion that there had never been a deal over the laws will upset EU officials already worried by the departure of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the main Turkish broker of the deal under which Turkey takes back migrants reaching Europe from its shores in return for concessions including the scrapping of visas for Turks visiting the EU.
Davutoglu announced last week he would step down after weeks of tension with Erdogan.
