EU Applies Double Standards Halting Accession Talks With Ankara – Turkish Party

ANKARA (Sputnik) – On Thursday, the European Parliament approved the mechanism that would allow the implementation of visa-free regime with Ukraine, while on November 24, European lawmakers voted in favor of freezing EU accession talks with Turkey until it lifts restrictive measures in the country in place since the July failed coup.

"Turkey regards it [the freezing of the EU-Turkey negotiations] as the European Union's demonstration of the policy of double standards … In this context, we regard the last case [European Parliament’s decision to liberalize vise regime with regard to Ukraine and Georgia] as another evidence of applying double standards," Gunal said, adding that there was no other way to interpret the European Parliament’s actions.

Gunal stressed that in case the European Union has genuine intentions with regard to the issue of Turkish membership, then the parties should discuss the existing problems and find a solution together.

Gunal noted that Turkey was tired of the protracted negotiation process, lasting for 53 years, and that the relation between Brussels and Ankara should be reviewed.

In March, Brussels and Ankara worked out and agreed on a deal, under which Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants that had arrived to the European Union in exchange for Syrian refugees on a one-for-one basis. In return, the bloc pledged to accelerate the Turkish EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime, as well as provide financial aid to Turkey to cover the costs of migrant reception.

Turkey signed an association agreement with the then-European Community in 1963, and submitted a membership application in 1987. Talks about Ankara's membership of the European Union began in 2005. The negotiations on Turkey's EU membership have been repeatedly suspended due to various obstacles.