EU should not close its doors to Turkey, EC President says

/By Azernews/

By Gunay Hasanova

The European Commission called on not to close doors of the European Union to Turkey, which striving for the EU membership for many years.   

“Any measures taken by the EU aiming to rupture the relations with Turkey would be a big mistake,” said the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

At the same time the EU urges Ankara to soften acting law on the fight against terrorism, the head of the European Commission said.

“The EU, as in the past, condemns mass arrests in Turkey,” he added.

Earlier, it was reported that the European Union strongly condemned the arrest of the generals and officials of state structures started in Turkey after the military coup.

Previously, the Secretary of General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland visited Turkey.

One of the key topics discussed in the meeting was cleansing of Turkey from Gulen supporters, who was involved in failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 16.

Earlier, Turkish authorities said that cleansing in the state structures of the country will continue.

Turkey has along waited for its EU membership, while each application to accede to the European Union was frustrating for the government. Turkey, holding a status of an associate member at the Economic Community -- the predecessor of the EU since 1963 -- made an official application for entry on April 14, 1987.

On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them.

However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people excluding the coup plotters and over 2,000 people were wounded.

Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.