Austria calls for new EU relationship with Turkey

Published April 29, 2017

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern says Turkey should not be allowed to join the European Union, with membership talks between the EU and Ankara at a standstill.

Kern told reporters in Brussels Saturday that "we have to bring our relations to Turkey into new order."

He said the EU should "create a new relation to Turkey" encompassing economic, security and migration interests.

Referring to the reported blocking of online encyclopedia Wikipedia and the ongoing purge in Turkey, Kern said it's time "to hurry up because we can't afford to have an unstable country with 80 million citizens close to our neighborhood."

The EU promised Turkey fast-track membership talks, among other incentives, to stop migrants leaving for Europe. The talks have moved at snail's pace since they were launched in 2005.

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