Answer given by Mr Hahn on behalf of the Commission
1.3.2017
In its 2016 report on Turkey[1], the Commission expressed growing concerns about the serious backsliding in the areas of rule of law, freedom of expression and fundamental rights in the past year in Turkey. The report further underlines that while Turkey had the right to take swift and decisive action against the imminent threat of a coup d'état, the massive scale and nature of the follow-up measures taken by the Turkish authorities continue to be a serious source of concern.
Furthermore, the report notes that there are reports of members of the Turkish diaspora living in the EU Member States being under pressure to report on other members of these communities.
On many occasions since July 2016, the EU has stressed that Turkey, as a candidate country, needs to aspire to the highest democratic standards and practices and needs to guarantee human rights in line with the European Convention on Human Rights to which it has subscribed.
On 8 November 2016, the High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission issued a Declaration on behalf of the EU[2] 28 highlighting the EU's concerns on the continued restrictions on the freedom of expression, including social media, with further closures of media outlets and arrest warrants against journalists. The scale of detentions, dismissals and shut-downs notably in the media sector based on charges of alleged terrorism remains highly worrying.
The Commission will continue to raise these concerns with the Turkish authorities as part of their ongoing dialogue.