The EU is turning a blind eye to an opposition crackdown in Turkey that’s polarizing society and complicating efforts to find a political solution to the nation’s Kurdish conflict, Demirtas said in an impromptu interview en route to Brussels. European leaders are expected to ink an agreement with Turkey on Monday that will offer faster EU membership negotiations and visa-free travel in exchange for stopping refugees from crossing the country to enter Europe.
Demirtas was speaking two days after Turkish government trustees took over one of Turkey’s primary opposition newspapers in a dramatic raid that sparked clashes between protesters and police. The seizure reflects a broader intolerance of dissent that has also undermined the HDP, who are now largely excluded from mainstream media coverage.
On the same day that authorities took control of the Zaman newspaper, European Council President Donald Tusk, who was in Istanbul, tweeted a picture of himself with Erdogan in front of a pair of golden throne-like seats.
It was almost identical to a photo-op with German Chancellor Angela Merkel last year, which was around the same time that the EU agreed to Erdogan’s request to withhold a critical report on Turkish democracy until after the general election a few days later.
– From the Bloomberg article: EU Making `Big Mistake’ in Turkey Deal
European Union bureaucrats like to portray themselves as enlightened, competent technocrats who nobly represent humanity’s grandest political and economic experiment. Meanwhile, the stark reality is the EU is little more than a bunch of self-interested frauds willing to do “whatever it takes” to preserve their own status and power. When you peel back the EU’s facade of disingenuous humanitarian pledges, what you discover is a putrid cadre of incompetent, corrupt and deeply unethical politicians.
An illustrative example of this truth was revealed recently, as EU officials moved to strike a deal with an increasingly authoritarian Turkey in a desperate attempt to stem the refugee flow. It’s been known for quite some time that Turkey is using the refugee crisis as leverage to pressure the EU and other “allies,” which makes panicked attempts by EU bureaucrats to strike a deal with Erdogan the equivalent of negotiating with terrorists. Too harsh you say? Let’s revisit a few articles highlighting Turkey’s recent spiral into totalitarianism.
First, from the post So Who’s Really Sponsoring ISIS? Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Other U.S. “Allies”:
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