Kati Piri

Europe was wrong to ignore Turkey's refugee crisis situation for so long, the European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Kati Piri has told Anadolu Agency.

European Council President Donald Tusk's warning to Turkey that it will only win concessions from the EU, such as fast-tracked travel visas, if it successfully reduces the flow of refugees reaching Europe has drawn reaction from the European Parliament. 

Turkey must put its reform process at the center of domestic policy choices and commit "unequivocally" to democratic rules and principles, which are at the heart of the EU, the European Parliament said in a resolution on the 2014 reform progress in Turkey, while members of European Parliament (MEP) particularly underlined their concerns over the independence, impartiality and efficiency of the

The European Parliament's rapporteur for Turkey, Kati Piri, has expressed concerns over the "independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression and the freedom of press" in Turkey, adding "shutting Turkey's door to the European Union is not what the parliament wants."

The European Parliament's new rapporteur for Turkey has urged the country to intensify cooperation on foreign policy coordination and cooperation, calling on it to support the European Union's sanctions on Russia.

Continuing with democratic reforms is key for Turkey to advance its EU accession process, Kati Piri, the European Parliament's new rapporteur to Turkey, has said on her first visit to Ankara.