ANKARA REJECTS EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPORT

ANKARA, NOVEMBER 4 /SRNA-Reuters/ - Ankara on Wednesday evening rejected the EU's assessment of the rule of law and the judiciary in Turkiye, as well as of the situation in Cyprus, set out in the bloc's report on membership candidates, calling it unfair and biased.

In its annual enlargement report, the European Commission said legal action by Turkish authorities against elected officials, opposition members and civil society raised concerns about Ankara's respect for basic democratic principles, even though the EU has improved its ties with Turkiye.

"Turkiye has moved further away from its EU accession goal and backslid on respect for the fundamental political criteria for joining the bloc. The factors that led to accession talks stalling in 2018 have not been addressed either," the Commission said in the report.

Responding to the report, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the accusations were unfounded and reflected double standards.

"We reject the unfounded accusations in the report, particularly those concerning the political criteria, the judiciary and fundamental rights," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the report's remarks on Cyprus, where the bloc rejects Ankara's call for a two-state solution and criticizes Turkiye's presence on the island, showed support for the maximalist positions of Greece and the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot administration.

Turkiye has been an official candidate for EU membership since 1999, but its bid has been frozen over a range of issues, from human rights to democratic backsliding, which Ankara denies.