Ankara angry after European Parliament votes in favor of freezing talks

The Turkish government has reacted angrily to the European Parliament's Nov. 24 recommendation by an overwhelming majority to freeze Ankara's EU accession negotiations, with chief negotiator Ömer Çelik saying the "debates lack vision."

"It is easy to talk like this in places where terror has not stepped. At a time when Turkey, which has a 1,295-kilometer border with Syria and Iraq, is involved in a heightened fight against terror, there are visionless and imprudent debates going on in Europe, instead of showing solidarity," Çelik said in reaction to the non-binding vote.