EU divided over calls to block Turkey’s bid : Turkey is a "vital partner" in many crises that we all face

European Union member countries are presenting a divided picture on whether to continue full membership talks with Turkey, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to call her European partners to either suspend or end Ankara’s bid to join the 29-member club.

Strongest opposition to Merkel’s call came from Paris, as President Emmanuel Macron stated that ties with Turkey should continue despite the fact that the Turkish government has failed to meet EU democratic and human rights norms of late.

Turkey remains a vital partner of the EU and ties should be maintained even if the country has taken a worrying turn of late, Macron said in an interview published on Sept. 7. “Turkey has indeed strayed away from the European Union in recent months and worryingly overstepped the mark in ways that cannot go ignored. This notably concerns [an update of] the Customs Union,” he was quoted as telling Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper.

“But I want to avoid a split because Turkey is a vital partner in many crises that we all face, notably the immigration challenge and the terrorist threat,” Macron added.
 [hurriyetdailynews.com]
7/9/17