The European Parliament voted to freeze membership talks Thursday with Turkey in protest of the Turkish government’s actions since the failed military coup in July.
The non-binding landslide vote calls on the European Commission and European Union member states to temporarily freeze the ongoing negotiations with Turkey. With a 479-37 majority, the MPs voted to strongly condemn “the disproportionate repressive measures taken in Turkey since the failed military coup attempt.”
About 37,000 people have been arrested in Turkey since the coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has further dismissed hundreds of thousands of people from their jobs and shut down media outlets that disagree with the government’s actions.
Erdogan remained calm before the vote and said it would have little impact on Turkey’s chances of one day being accepted into the union.
“I want to say in advance from here and address the whole world watching on their TV screens – this vote has no value at all, no matter what result emerges,” Erdogan said Wednesday.
Turkey applied to become a member in 1987 and membership talks have taken place since 2005. Turkey remains a strategic ally for the EU as a gateway to the Middle East.
The EU agreed to give visa-free travel to Turkish citizens once the country meets a list of demands. A deal struck in the spring to cooperate on migrant crisis could also be in jeopardy after the vote.
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