EU To Restart Membership Talks With Turkey

Human rights still a concern

The European Union is to reopen membership talks with Turkey, more than three years after freezing negotiations, in an attempt to boost the prospects for democratic reforms amid fears that the country is taking an authoritarian lurch under its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

EU foreign ministers will formally decide on Tuesday to resume negotiations in two weeks' time, senior diplomats said, following a U-turn by Germany, which, until last month's election, favoured shelving the talks.

Germany is generally opposed to Turkey joining the EU, along with France and several others. The last obstacle to re-engaging with Turkey was overcome on Monday at the meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg when the Dutch shifted position.