the approach of the Turkish judiciary against suspected opponents of the government has fuelled tensions between Europe and Turkey. As “total madness” criticized the Turkey Rapporteur in the European Parliament Kati Piri, the indictment against Osman Kavala, a prominent representative of the Turkish civil society. The Euro was expressed by the Council of Europe also concerned about the handling of the Turkey with Kavala, a life sentence for an alleged coup attempt threatens. New dispute threatens also on the divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The EU Parliament will vote in the coming weeks over the call for the suspension of accession talks with Turkey.

The 62-year-old Kavala was as the founder of a cultural Foundation in the past years, a close Partner of many European institutions in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses of Kavala, however, to have the Gezi unrest almost six years ago started to overthrow his government.

With the completion of the indictment against Kavala, has been sitting for more than 15 months in custody, wanted to come earlier, the Turkish authorities apparently in defeat before the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. The indictment was submitted a day before the expiry of a last deadline that had been set by the court of Turkey in the case of Kavala. Along with Kavala, a further 15 people are accused of, for all life imprisonment is required.

The Instrument of detention to serve Erdogan to bring the critics to Silence

daily mirror tomorrow location

Free

order For years, representatives of the Council of Europe and the EU that the Turkish judiciary is made more and more to the tool of the government to complain. The human rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatovic, criticized the indictment of Kavala as a sign of how the Turkish judicial system of the European Standards.

Also commented on Turkey Rapporteur Piri, the judiciary in Turkey has become “a total joke”. Among other things, the Instrument of the detention be used to defend the legitimate criticism of journalists, learning human rights and of the opposition, wrote Piri on Twitter.

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the EU Parliament decided, meanwhile, that a request for the suspension of the running since 2005, accession negotiations with Turkey. The Turkish foreign Ministry called the Initiative of the Committee “unacceptable”, but Piri stressed, you can expect in March, a majority in the house for the resolution.

Turkish foreign Minister Cavusoglu to come to Brussels in March

A Parliament vote for the suspension of Turkey’s talks would probably have no concrete consequences for Ankara. Currently, the EU Commission and the Council of the member countries have no inclination to put the talks with Turkey, despite the democracy removal in Ankara officially on ice. In mid-March, is expected, according to Piri, the Turkish foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to his first talks with the EU in Brussels this year.

Until then, it could further Trouble. Cavusoglu accused the EU on Thursday to Turkey “before the door” leave the country for better control. He called on the EU, according to the Anadolu news Agency, once again, to allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel to Europe. Brussels rejects the reference to the draconian Anti-Terror laws of Turkey.

Because natural gas supplies threatens the dispute between Turkey and Cyprus

Cavusoglu also announced that his country would in the coming days in the Mediterranean sea to Cyprus to natural gas stocks are looking for. This could leave the voltages to the divided island of escalate again. Turkey criticized for a long time the efforts of the EU Greek-island Republic to explore the natural gas reserves around the island and to exploit. Ankara sees the interests of the Turkish part of the island, at risk.

More about

Osman Kavala, Turkey expects the Gezi activists

Susanne Güsten

“Without the Turkey can happen in the Mediterranean, nothing,” said Cavusoglu. The gas to Cyprus for Turkey’s “strategic” importance and a “national matter”.