Turkey hits out over call to suspend EU accession talks

Date:22Feb2019

But a formal call to suspend talks would risk exacerbating tensions at a time when Ankara and Brussels have been striving to improve relations after a fraught period that followed an attempted coup d’état in Turkey in 2016.

Turkey has sought to promote better relations with its largest trading partner, to encourage investment at a time when its economy is floundering. Brussels, meanwhile, is reliant on Turkey for co-operation on security, trade and migration. A multibillion-euro migration deal struck three years ago remains a key pillar of the relationship. Turkey is home to 3.6m Syrian refugees.