ISTANBUL – With Turkey’s bid to join the EU long frozen, the European Commission (EC) released its annual report Tuesday on the nation’s accession process, citing continued democratic backsliding under the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Oliver Varhelyi, the EC’s Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, said Turkey had not “credibly addressed” EU concerns over the ongoing deterioration in rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary.
