Ankara condemns European Parliament committee call to suspend Turkish EU accession

Turkey has criticized as “unacceptable” a vote by the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee calling for the suspension of EU accession negotiations with it. The committee called on the European Commission and member states on Wednesday to formally suspend EU accession negotiations with Turkey, citing disregard for human rights and civil liberties, influence on the judiciary, and disputes over territory with Cyprus and other neighbors. “It is absolutely unacceptable that the non-binding, advisory draft report is calling for a total suspension of our accession talks to the EU,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Thursday. “We expect the necessary corrections to be made and the final report to be more realistic, impartial and encouraging,” Reuters quoted him as saying. “Only such a report will be taken into consideration by our country.”