BRUSSELS—The European Union on Tuesday severely criticized Turkey for a series of flaws in its respect for human rights and democratic standards at a time when the bloc is looking to Ankara to help deal with the migrant crisis.
In an annual report to prepare for possible Turkish membership, the EU said that on political issues “the pace of reforms slowed down,” adding that some key legislation “ran against European standards.”
The full report, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also said that “major shortcomings remain” when it comes to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The release of the report had been delayed so as not to influence elections last week.
In an initial assessment for the European Parliament, EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn told legislators that “over the past year, significant shortcomings affected the independence of the judiciary as well as freedom of assembly and freedom expression.”
