Austrian Chancellor Suggests Ending EU Accession Talks With Turkey

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said on Wednesday that he would start a discussion among European heads of government to quit talks with Turkey about joining the European Union because of the country's democratic and economic deficits.

European leaders have voiced concern over Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on suspected dissidents after a failed coup attempt month, identifying his idea of reintroducing the death penalty in Turkey as a red line barring accession to the EU.

Kern sharpened the critical rhetoric in an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF.

"We are all well advised to now say we're pressing the reset button," he said, calling accession talks a "diplomatic fiction".

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-eu-austria-idUSKCN10E2LX

[Angel Martin]

1. But, but, but...

during the Brexit campaign David Cameron claimed these negotiations would never happen...

[geek tragedy]

2. "Diplomatic fiction" is exactly right.

Turkey is European the way the UK is Iberian.

[Yo_Mama]

3. But the deal halting the huge flow of Syrian refugees from Turkey to Greece

is dependent not only on the accession "diplomatic fiction", but now, according to Erdogan, visa free travel for Turks in Europe by the fall.

[appal_jack]

4. Nonetheless, Erdogan is a dictator who has no place in Europe. k&r, nt.

[Yo_Mama]

5. Totally agree. Light years from fitting the EU model.

In any way. And not moving in that direction, either.