EU warns Turkey’s rights crackdown deepens gap in EU accession prospects

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told reporters in Edirne that the Union holds serious concerns about Turkey’s adherence to democratic norms, emphasizing recent developments that affect media freedom, the rights of LGBTIQ+ people and local democracy. She warned that these trends widen the gap between Turkey’s aspirations to join the EU and the bloc’s standards. Rights organisations have repeatedly highlighted pressures on independent media, prosecutions of journalists and opposition politicians, and growing curbs on civil liberties, including the detention of numerous LGBTQ activists.

Ankara defends its policies as protecting family values and public order. Kos announced that the forthcoming enlargement report, to be published on October 28, will reflect these concerns and that she will state the facts publicly. Turkey, a NATO member and EU candidate since 1999 with negotiations opened in 2005, has seen its accession talks stalled for years over democratic backsliding, rule-of-law and fundamental-rights issues.