Turkey criticised by European Commission on human rights and media freedom

The European Commission urged EU candidate Turkey to lift restrictions on media freedom, respect human rights, and stop interfering in the judiciary, criticism that Ankara described as “unfair and excessive”.

In its annual progress report on Turkey, whose decade-long accession talks with the EU have largely stalled over a number of domestic and external problems, the Commission called for a relaunch of peace talks with Kurdish militants in the south east, where violence has surged.

The report also noted with concern that president Tayyip Erdogan’s push for a constitutional overhaul that would give him much greater powers.