Turkey Debate: Quote from Sergey Lagodinsky

Monday, 26th April the European Parliament held a debate on the meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles Michel and Turkey's President Erdoğan.

Sergey Lagodinsky, Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to Turkey, comments:

"The political situation in Turkey is alarming. We expect the European Union and the Turkish government to prioritize compliance with international obligations and respect for human rights in their bilateral relations. We stand in solidarity with those in Turkey who are fighting for human rights and the rights of the opposition.

"Any normalization of bilateral relations must start with real progress on democracy and human rights. This includes the Turkish government ending the ban on the opposition party HDP and implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. We demand the release of Osman Kavala and the opposition politician Selahattin Demirtaş, and that Turkey re-joins the Istanbul Convention.

"All these demands are only realistic if the European Union speaks with one voice, for which the EU Commission and the European Council also bear a great responsibility. They did not live up to this responsibility during the visit to Ankara. In the European Parliament, we expect an ambitious and coordinated European foreign policy towards Turkey."