European rights body has put the country on a watchlist citing concerns about President Erdogan's recent power grab and its faltering human rights
File photo of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivering a speech. Pic/AFP
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Brussels: Lawmakers from a leading European rights body on Tuesday put Turkey on a monitoring watchlist, citing concerns over what they say is the stifling of dissent and rights violations under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he concentrates power.
The vote to open the formal procedure against Ankara passed with 113 votes in favour versus 45 against in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.
Separate to the EU, the CoE is a human rights body of which Turkey is a member. That decision could have an adverse effect on the talks on Turkey's EU accession. They made little progress over the past decade and dark clouds have gathered following a crackdown Erdogan oversaw since a failed military coup last July. Ties between the EU and Ankara have soured further around a referendum that gave Erdogan more powers.
While campaigning, he has accused EU states Germany and the Netherlands of acting like Nazis. EU lawmakers will separately debate relations with Turkey on Wednesday.
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