I am very concerned about the action undertaken by the Turkish security authorities against journalists and representatives of the media. We have to assume that the measures are politically motivated. This is all the more troubling because freedom of the press is a precious asset, the protection of which we must demand, even from those in power, time and again.
The Turkish Government’s policy does not currently live up to the standards that we require from an EU accession candidate. With regard to the continuation of the EU accession process in particular, I call on the Turkish Government to end this overblown campaign against disliked journalists.