Turkey's human rights' record failing its EU bid: French pres

Paris [France], Jan. 06 (ANI) French President Emmanuel Macron has told Turkey that due to its chequered human rights' record, the latter could not become European Union's full-fledged member.

Macron's remark came during a joint news conference with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Paris on Friday.

To this charge, Erdogan, according to The Telegraph, responded by claiming that some journalists had been nourishing terrorists with their writings.

At the conference, Erdogan said that his country was worn out after waiting for 54 years to get an entry into the EU.

"This is seriously exhausting us and seriously exhausting our nation. Maybe this will force us to take a decision," The Telegraph quoted the leader as saying.

However, Macron, in replying, was straightforward and said recent developments in Turkey were failing its EU accession bid.

"We must get out of a hypocrisy that consists in thinking that a natural progression towards opening new chapters is possible. It's not true," the French president said.

The European Union countries and various human rights organisations have expressed their displeasure with Turkey over the way affairs were handled post 2016 failed coup.

An order was given to arrest about 55,000 security force personnel, judges, journalists, academics and

activists after the failed coup. Over 1,40,000 people, accused of having links with US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara sees as a prime orchestrator of the attempted coup, have been sacked or suspended. (ANI)