EU foreign policy chief says Turkey accession process ongoing but no new negotiation opens

Turkey's accession process into the EU continues but currently there is no new work ongoing to open new chapters, said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Friday.

The words came at the EU informal meeting of foreign ministers in Malta.

Mogherini said the criteria for negotiations are very clear. If Turkey is interested in accession negotiations, it knows what it implies especially in the field of human rights, media freedom and respect of international law.

It is up to Turkey to express their willingness to continue to be a candidate country, she added. The rules are clear but a level of clarification is needed on their side.

The EU foreign policy chief also said that the EU respects and recognizes the sovereign right of any country to decide its governance system, so the EU respect the results of the referendum in Turkey.

However the EU expects the implementation to constitutional amendments will be done by seeking the highest degree of unity in the country, she added.

She further noted that Turkish citizens are at centre of dialogue and cooperation also in relation to negotiations for accession.

Mogherini said that the relation with Turkey goes beyond accession negotiations and covers different areas such as counter-terrorism cooperation and the crisis in Syria. Endit