Belgium’s prime minister said Friday the time has come for the European Union to make a final decision about Turkey’s “dead end” bid for membership, saying that after months of provocations from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, “masochism must have its limits.”
“Here and now, I have impression that the membership process is not the right framework to have a successful dialogue with Turkey,” Michel said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Austria is also seeking to end Turkey’s membership bid, and a growing group of countries say they’ve realized acting as if Turkey is still a constructive partner would amount to a charade.
“Let’s be frank – for several months now there is an acceleration in the process of the Turkish government turning its back on European values,” Michel said.
Erdogan recently won a referendum that expands his powers, and he has had equally harsh words for the EU. He has also said he may hold a referendum on whether the country should continue its membership efforts.