Turkey lashes out at European Parliament report urging EU sanctions on justice minister
Lawmakers urged the European Union to freeze assets of Turkish officials, citing democratic backsliding and politically motivated prosecutions.
- On Wednesday, the European Parliament approved its annual report on Turkey, citing concerns over democratic backsliding, the rule of law, and specific human rights violations in Cyprus.
- Rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor warned that "Turkey continues to move rapidly towards a fully authoritarian model," citing the judiciary's role as "in the state's repressive machinery" and suppression of opposition leader Ozgur Ozel.
- Regarding Cyprus, the report "strongly condemns Turkey's attempts to upgrade the status of the secessionist entity" and urges Ankara to "respect the status of the buffer zone" while reversing unilateral actions in Varosha.
- Turkey's Foreign Ministry rejected the report, stating, "We categorically reject the report's distortion of legal processes conducted by the independent Turkish judiciary and its targeting of our Minister of Justice with baseless accusations.
19 Articles
19 Articles
EP targets Erdogan allies in Europe, criticizing Turkey’s overseas crackdowns and state media propaganda reach
Levent Kenez/Stockholm European Parliament lawmakers have sharply criticized the Turkish government over what they described as a pattern of transnational repression, political interference abroad and support for extremist and ideological networks, marking one of the strongest condemnations of Ankara’s conduct beyond its borders in recent years. In its 2025 report on Turkey, the European Parliament condemned reported cases of intimidation, force…
Associated Press News
Turkey lashes out at European Parliament report urging EU sanctions on justice minister
Turkey has rejected a European Parliament report calling for possible sanctions on its justice minister and other officials accused of human rights violations.
Five Cypriot MEPs abstain, Fidias rejects EU parliament’s Turkey report
Five of Cyprus’ six members of the European Parliament abstained from the final vote on the parliament’s annual report on Turkey on Wednesday, with independent Fidias Panayiotou voting to reject the report. Disy’s Loukas Fourlas and Michalis Hadjipantela, Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, Elam’s Geadis Geadi, and Dikos Costas Mavrides all recorded abstentions, but the report was passed notwithstanding the Cypriots’ votes, with 381 MEPs voting in its favo…
EP Lawmakers Push to Harden Turkey Report over Human Rights Violations and Pressure on Opposition
ANKARA (Stockholm Center for Freedom) — European Parliament (EP) lawmakers from several political groups are seeking sharper criticism of Turkey’s rule-of-law and human rights record before a vote this week on an EP report expected to say Ankara’s European Union accession path remains blocked by democratic backsliding, judicial interference and pressure on the opposition. According to the Bianet news website, the proposed amendments would toughe…
NECİP F. BAHADIR | COMMENT In the old Turkey, even a single sentence of criticism was perceived as a problem in Ankara. It wasn't just the opposition that would seize upon it; those in power would also strive to correct their behavior. You must have understood that I'm referring to the European Parliament's 'Turkey report'. A very harsh report… Cansu Çamlıbel from T24 had given a warning days earlier. The AKP intervened to preemptively address i…
Reacting to the European Parliament's adoption of a report recommending sanctions against Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, MHP's Feti Yıldız said, "No disrespect shown to Türkiye's sovereign rights will go unpunished."
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