Turkey: EU parliament vote to end talks 'terrible mistake'

AP , Thursday 6 Jul 2017

File picture shows European Union member states
File picture shows European Union member states' flags flying in front of the building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, April 21, 2004. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler/File File picture shows European Union member states' flags flying in front of the building of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, April 21, 2004 (Photo: Reuters)

Turkey's European Union affairs minister says a possible European Parliament vote to suspend accession talks with his country would go down in history as a "terrible mistake."

Omer Celik made the comments Thursday at the start of talks with EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn in Ankara, hours before the European Parliament is due to hold a nonbinding vote on a draft report that calls for the suspension of negotiations with Turkey due to concerns over its human rights and democracy.

Celik said Turkey expects "strong solidarity" from European legislators.

"Instead, we are getting calls for the negotiations to be suspended, which is extremely wrong," he said.

The minister also said Turkey would never accept any proposal to reformulate EU-Turkish ties through a series of agreements on immigration, combating terrorism, and trade.

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