EU’s Juncker warns against closing doors to Turkey

BERLIN

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker opposed calls by several politicians to end Turkey’s EU membership talks due to state of emergency declared in the country after the deadly July 15 coup attempt.

"If one now, at this juncture, gives Turkey the impression that, no matter how, the EU would not be ready to take in Turkey, then I would call that a grave foreign policy mistake," Juncker said Thursday, in an exclusive interview with German public television ARD.

Juncker made the remarks after Austria’s Chancellor Christian Kern called for an end to Turkey’s accession talks. On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition partner, Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) also backed this call.

Juncker rejected these calls and argued that ending EU membership talks with Turkey would not be helpful to address the current problems.

He also said that ending accession talks with a candidate country would only be possible by a unanimous decision of all 28 member states.

"And at this precise moment I do not see willingness of all member states towards that," he stressed.

Juncker also urged Turkey to stick to the principles of rule of law during investigation into the coup attempt.

The July 15 coup attempt was foiled when tens of thousands of people took to the streets to defend the democratically elected government. The events left at least 239 martyrs, and nearly 2,200 injuries.

Turkish government has said the coup was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Gulenists have long been suspected of trying to fully control the Turkish state by infiltrating key institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, in a long-running campaign dating back to the 1980s.

Approximately 13,000 members of the military, police, and judiciary as well as civil servants have been detained since the failed putsch, and tens of thousands more removed from their posts.