Turkey question divides the EU

The Debates feature from Euro|Topics offers English (+ French and German) translations of a selections of articles in European news sources on this topic.

Euro|Topics relaunched their website during 2016. Features published before that date are still available via an archive website (see related url hyperlinks0The EU states have unanimously condemned the 11 December 2016 attacks in Istanbul, but they are less united on the question of Turkey's EU accession talks: Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz repeated his call in December 2016 for an end to the talks while German Foreign Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has spoken out against this. What approach should the EU adopt vis-à-vis Ankara?

At discussions at the General Affairs Council in Brussels on the 13 December 2016 Austria failed in its call.

• Primary Source

http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html

ESO: Background information: International Summit: Meeting of the EU heads of state or government with Turkey, Brussels, 7 March 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/international-summit-meeting-of-the-eu-heads-of-state-or-government-with-turkey-brussels-7-march-2016/

ESO: Background information: Turkey’s Impending Estrangement From the West http://www.europeansources.info/record/turkeys-impending-estrangement-from-the-west/

Deutsche Welle, 12.12.16: Austria threatens to block Turkish accession http://dw.com/p/2UAb2

ESO: Background information: Debate at the plenary session on Turkey's accession to the European Union - Freeze EU accession talks with Turkey, urge MEPs, November 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/debate-at-the-plenary-session-on-turkeys-accession-to-the-european-union-freeze-eu-accession-talks-with-turkey-urge-meps/

Politico, 12.12.16: Austria to the EU: We need to talk about Turkey http://www.politico.eu/article/austria-to-the-eu-we-need-to-talk-about-turkey-eu-membership-sebastian-kurz-austrias-foreign-minister/

Politico, 13.12.16: EU ministers reject Austria’s call to freeze Turkey membership talks http://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ministers-reject-austrias-call-to-freeze-turkey-membership-talks/

ESO: Background information: General Affairs Council, 13 December 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/general-affairs-council-13-december-2016/

EUObserver, 13.12.16: EU rejects calls for 'freeze' in Turkey talks https://euobserver.com/foreign/136261

EUObserver, 16.12.16: Turkey threatens retaliation against Austria https://euobserver.com/foreign/136313

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