Erdogan Says EU Cannot Give 'Democracy Lesson' to Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday launched a new attack on the European Union over its condemnation of raids on opposition media, saying that Brussels had no right to give Ankara a "democracy lesson".
"They say they will give a democracy lesson to Turkey. Take the trouble to come here, so that Turkey can give you a lesson in democracy," a combative Erdogan said in a speech in the Anatolian city of Konya.
He told Brussels to "look in the mirror" in its dealings with Egypt and Syria in particular and said Turkey would never be the EU's "doorman".
The weekend arrests of journalists and television staff linked to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen earned Turkey severe criticism from the European Union which denounced the raids as "incompatible with the freedom of the media".
But Erdogan on Monday lashed out at the rebuke and told European leaders to "mind their own business" in a diatribe that raised new doubts about Turkey's stalled bid to join the bloc.
On Wednesday, he stepped up his attack that came on the 10th anniversary of the EU greenlight for the start of formal membership negotiations with Ankara.
"They've been dragging feet over the last decade... Sorry, but we are not the EU's doorman," the president said in comments which prompted cheers and whistling from the crowd.
"If they let us in, they do. If they don't, they don't," he said. "You may speak against Turkey as much as you like. We will draw our own route."
Erdogan warned the EU not to give "advice" to Turkey.
"Let me repeat it, those who try to advise Turkey by shaking their finger, just like a governess, must understand that they are no longer facing the old Turkey," he said.
"They say they will give Turkey a lesson in freedoms. You first go and give an account of rising racism, Islamophobia and discrimination in Europe," he added.
"Those who close their eyes to what happens in Syria, who turn their back on the massacres in Palestine, cannot preach to us about freedom, democracy and human rights."
Source: Agence France Presse
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