The head of the European Commission yesterday pledged &quot;Europe&#39;s solidarity and cooperation in the fight against barbarity&quot;, in a letter to French President Francois Hollande after a church attack claimed by the Islamic State group. 
 
&quot;More than ever, all over Europe, solidarity and cooperation will be essential in the fight against barbarity and to ensure that our shared values prevail,&quot; Jean-Claude Juncker wrote. 
 
&quot;The European Commission is fully mobilised, along with other European institutions, to provide all the support it can to France in these painful moments,&quot; he added. 
 
In a statement, the EU&#39;s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also expressed solidarity and offered her &quot;condolences to the families of the victims, to France and the Catholic Church.&quot; 
 
&quot;Targeting a man of faith, of any faith, is always a crime against our common humanity because it means targeting the deeper essence of our lives, believers and non-believers alike,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;The right answer is to keep living together, to stop the hatred,&quot; Mogherini said. 
 
&quot;The terrible, daily news of attacks reinforce our common work against terrorism, within and beyond our borders,&quot; she said. &quot;It&#39;s unity that will make us prevail.&quot; 
 
The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wrote on Twitter: &quot;We stand side by side with the French in the face of this incomprehensible savagery.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

EU members pledged their solidarity and cooperation to France. EU's foreign policy chief stressed on unity in fight against terrorism

The head of the European Commission yesterday pledged "Europe's solidarity and cooperation in the fight against barbarity", in a letter to French President Francois Hollande after a church attack claimed by the Islamic State group. "More than ever, all over Europe, solidarity and cooperation will be essential in the fight against barbarity and to ensure that our shared values prevail," Jean-Claude Juncker wrote. "The European Commission is fully mobilised, along with other European institutions, to provide all the support it can to France in these painful moments," he added. In a statement, the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also expressed solidarity and offered her "condolences to the families of the victims, to France and the Catholic Church." "Targeting a man of faith, of any faith, is always a crime against our common humanity because it means targeting the deeper essence of our lives, believers and non-believers alike," she said. "The right answer is to keep living together, to stop the hatred," Mogherini said. "The terrible, daily news of attacks reinforce our common work against terrorism, within and beyond our borders," she said. "It's unity that will make us prevail." The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wrote on Twitter: "We stand side by side with the French in the face of this incomprehensible savagery." (AFP)

EU vows to help France fight Islamic State 'barbarity'

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a &#39;Leave&#39; vote. 
 
Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position,&quot; Juncker told France 2 television. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. 
 
Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. 
 
&quot;I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. 
 
&quot;There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. 
 
Asked about Boris Johnson&#39;s comparison of the EU&#39;s aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson&#39;s appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the &#39;Leave&#39; camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. 
 
&quot;He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
(Reuters)

Juncker confirmed Britain would lose tariff-free access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a 'Leave' vote. Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. "(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position," Juncker told France 2 television. New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. "I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility," Juncker said. He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. "There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system," Juncker said. French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. Asked about Boris Johnson's comparison of the EU's aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson's appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the 'Leave' camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. "He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance," Juncker said. (Reuters)

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists today, broadcaster NTV reported, under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union (EU). 
 
The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, judges and civil servants in response to the July 15-16 putsch have raised concerns among rights groups and Western countries, who fear President Tayyip Erdogan is capitalising on it to tighten his grip on power. 
 
EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker questioned Ankara&#39;s long-standing aspiration to join the EU. 
 
&quot;I believe that Turkey, in its current state, is not in a position to become a member any time soon and not even over a longer period,&quot; Juncker said on French television France 2. 
 
Juncker also said that if Turkey reintroduces the death penalty - something the government has said it must consider, responding to calls from supporters at public rallies for the coup leaders to be executed - it would stop the EU accession process immediately. 
 
Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004, allowing it to open EU accession talks the following year, but the negotiations have made scant progress since then. 
 
Responding to Juncker&#39;s comments, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Haberturk TV that Europe cannot threaten Turkey regarding the death penalty. 
 
Erdogan has declared a state of emergency, which allows him to sign new laws without prior parliamentary approval and limit rights as he deems necessary. 
 
The government has said these steps are needed to root out supporters of the coup and will not infringe on the rights of ordinary Turks. 
 
NTV reported that among the 42 journalists subject to arrest warrants was well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak. 
 
State-run Turkish Airlines fired more than 100 employees, including management and cabin crew, Turkish media reported. 
 
Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey, of masterminding the coup plot. In his first decree since the state of emergency was declared, Erdogan ordered the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and foundations with suspected links to Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup. 
 
Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. 
 
Turkey wants the United States to extradite the cleric. Washington has said it will do so only if there is clear evidence. 
 
Foreign minister Cavusoglu said that ties with Washington will be affected if it fails to extradite Gulen. He said he would hold meetings with political and judiciary officials during a coming visit to the United States. 
 
Erdogan has accused Gulen, his former ally, of attempting to build a &quot;parallel network&quot; of supporters within the military, police, judiciary, civil service, education and media with the aim of toppling the state. 
 
&quot;They are traitors,&quot; Erdogan told Reuters in an interview last week. He described Gulen&#39;s network as &quot;like a cancer&quot; and said he would treat them like a &quot;separatist terrorist organisation&quot; and root them out, wherever they may be. 
 
Gulen denies the allegations 
 
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that authorities had taken around 13,000 people into custody over the coup attempt, including 8,831 soldiers. He promised they would have a fair trial. 
 
Rights group Amnesty International said it had received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt. 
 
Erdogan has extended the maximum period of detention for suspects from four days to 30, a move Amnesty said increased the risk of torture or other maltreatment of detainees. 
 
The government has said there would be no backtracking on human rights and has ruled out torture and curfews in the state of emergency. 
 
Ankara&#39;s frustration 
 
Ankara is increasingly expressing frustration over what it says in the lack of solidarity from Western partners in the aftermath of the coup. 
 
Western countries pledged support for democracy in Turkey, but have also expressed concern over the scale of subsequent purges of state institutions. 
 
Last week, the minister for EU affairs chided Western countries for not sending any representatives to demonstrate their solidarity with Turkey since the failed coup. 
 
On Sunday, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to defend Turkey&#39;s actions. 
 
&quot;Several thousand military officers and their accomplices in law enforcement and the judiciary have been suspended or arrested for having links to the coup. Their removal from public posts makes the Turkish government stronger and more transparent,&quot; he wrote, adding that at least 1,200 rank-and-file soldiers have been released so far. 
 
He also dismissed claims that Erdogan had orchestrated the coup in order to launch a crackdown. 
 
&quot;The claim that this was a fake coup is no more credible than the laughable claim that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the United States.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in response to Ankara's crackdown said in its current state, it is not in a position to join EU

Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists today, broadcaster NTV reported, under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union (EU). The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, judges and civil servants in response to the July 15-16 putsch have raised concerns among rights groups and Western countries, who fear President Tayyip Erdogan is capitalising on it to tighten his grip on power. EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker questioned Ankara's long-standing aspiration to join the EU. "I believe that Turkey, in its current state, is not in a position to become a member any time soon and not even over a longer period," Juncker said on French television France 2. Juncker also said that if Turkey reintroduces the death penalty - something the government has said it must consider, responding to calls from supporters at public rallies for the coup leaders to be executed - it would stop the EU accession process immediately. Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004, allowing it to open EU accession talks the following year, but the negotiations have made scant progress since then. Responding to Juncker's comments, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Haberturk TV that Europe cannot threaten Turkey regarding the death penalty. Erdogan has declared a state of emergency, which allows him to sign new laws without prior parliamentary approval and limit rights as he deems necessary. The government has said these steps are needed to root out supporters of the coup and will not infringe on the rights of ordinary Turks. NTV reported that among the 42 journalists subject to arrest warrants was well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak. State-run Turkish Airlines fired more than 100 employees, including management and cabin crew, Turkish media reported. Turkey wants US to extradite Gulen Erdogan has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey, of masterminding the coup plot. In his first decree since the state of emergency was declared, Erdogan ordered the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and foundations with suspected links to Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, says the coup may have been orchestrated by Erdogan himself. Turkey wants the United States to extradite the cleric. Washington has said it will do so only if there is clear evidence. Foreign minister Cavusoglu said that ties with Washington will be affected if it fails to extradite Gulen. He said he would hold meetings with political and judiciary officials during a coming visit to the United States. Erdogan has accused Gulen, his former ally, of attempting to build a "parallel network" of supporters within the military, police, judiciary, civil service, education and media with the aim of toppling the state. "They are traitors," Erdogan told Reuters in an interview last week. He described Gulen's network as "like a cancer" and said he would treat them like a "separatist terrorist organisation" and root them out, wherever they may be. Gulen denies the allegations Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that authorities had taken around 13,000 people into custody over the coup attempt, including 8,831 soldiers. He promised they would have a fair trial. Rights group Amnesty International said it had received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt. Erdogan has extended the maximum period of detention for suspects from four days to 30, a move Amnesty said increased the risk of torture or other maltreatment of detainees. The government has said there would be no backtracking on human rights and has ruled out torture and curfews in the state of emergency. Ankara's frustration Ankara is increasingly expressing frustration over what it says in the lack of solidarity from Western partners in the aftermath of the coup. Western countries pledged support for democracy in Turkey, but have also expressed concern over the scale of subsequent purges of state institutions. Last week, the minister for EU affairs chided Western countries for not sending any representatives to demonstrate their solidarity with Turkey since the failed coup. On Sunday, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin took to the opinion pages of the New York Times to defend Turkey's actions. "Several thousand military officers and their accomplices in law enforcement and the judiciary have been suspended or arrested for having links to the coup. Their removal from public posts makes the Turkish government stronger and more transparent," he wrote, adding that at least 1,200 rank-and-file soldiers have been released so far. He also dismissed claims that Erdogan had orchestrated the coup in order to launch a crackdown. "The claim that this was a fake coup is no more credible than the laughable claim that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the United States." (Reuters)

EU furious as Turkey detains 42 journalists after coup bid

EU chiefs Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker today backed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s government and urged a &quot;swift return&quot; to normal after a coup attempt. 
 
&quot;The tensions in and challenges for Turkey cannot be solved with guns,&quot; EU president Tusk told reporters during an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia. 
 
&quot;Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
 
Erdogan&#39;s authoritarian rule drew flak from EU&nbsp; 
 
The comments followed a joint statement by Tusk, European Commission head Juncker, and EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini calling for &quot;a swift return to Turkey&#39;s constitutional order.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law,&quot; it added. 
 
EU representatives at the gathering met earlier in the day to discuss the unfolding situation. 
 
Brussels will be watching with deep concern as events progress in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success. 
 
Turkey is also a crucial partner for the EU because of the controversial deal they signed in March to tackle the migration crisis. 
 
Under the deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants and refugees from the Greek islands and to stop people crossing the Aegean Sea. In return it is to get aid and visa-free travel for 80 million Turks to the EU. 
 
The bloc overcame its aversion to Erdogan&#39;s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has received sharp criticism from the EU, to sign the deal. 
 
Tusk said it was &quot;too early to speculate&quot; on the potential consequences of the coup attempt. 
 
&quot;The key question will be what kind of Turkey comes out from this crisis,&quot; he said, adding that how the country deals with the consequences &quot;will be crucial not only for Turkey but the whole region and of course EU-Turkey relations.&quot; 
 
&quot;Our hope and intention is of course to keep Turkey as a key partner,&quot; he said. 
 
NATO and US President Barack Obama have also backed the country&#39;s democratic institutions following the coup attempt. 
 
Turkey will now likely dominate an EU foreign minister&#39;s meeting on Monday which will also be attended by US secretary of state John Kerry. 
 
(AFP)

'Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law'

EU chiefs Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker today backed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's government and urged a "swift return" to normal after a coup attempt. "The tensions in and challenges for Turkey cannot be solved with guns," EU president Tusk told reporters during an Asia-Europe summit in Mongolia. "Military coups have no place in modern Turkey. There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law," he said. Erdogan's authoritarian rule drew flak from EU The comments followed a joint statement by Tusk, European Commission head Juncker, and EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini calling for "a swift return to Turkey's constitutional order." "Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law," it added. EU representatives at the gathering met earlier in the day to discuss the unfolding situation. Brussels will be watching with deep concern as events progress in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success. Turkey is also a crucial partner for the EU because of the controversial deal they signed in March to tackle the migration crisis. Under the deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants and refugees from the Greek islands and to stop people crossing the Aegean Sea. In return it is to get aid and visa-free travel for 80 million Turks to the EU. The bloc overcame its aversion to Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule, which has received sharp criticism from the EU, to sign the deal. Tusk said it was "too early to speculate" on the potential consequences of the coup attempt. "The key question will be what kind of Turkey comes out from this crisis," he said, adding that how the country deals with the consequences "will be crucial not only for Turkey but the whole region and of course EU-Turkey relations." "Our hope and intention is of course to keep Turkey as a key partner," he said. NATO and US President Barack Obama have also backed the country's democratic institutions following the coup attempt. Turkey will now likely dominate an EU foreign minister's meeting on Monday which will also be attended by US secretary of state John Kerry. (AFP)

Challenges in Turkey can't be resolved with guns: EU president on attempted coup

Britain does not have &quot;months to meditate&quot; on the next steps following the Brexit vote, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;I have some understanding for the fact that (Prime Minister) David Cameron wants to have some time in order to meditate,&quot; Juncker told a news conference after an EU summit. 
 
&quot;We want Article 50 (of the Lisbon Treaty formally stating Britain&#39;s intention to leave) to be triggered as soon as possible. It has to be speeded up. We don&#39;t have months to meditate, we have to act.&quot; 
 
Juncker added: &quot;What I don&#39;t understand is that those who wanted to leave (the EU) are totally unable to tell us what they want.&quot; 
 
&quot;I thought that if you want to leave you have a plan, you have a project, you have a global picture,&quot; he said. 
 
Juncker also said that he expected Britain to trigger Article 50 very soon after Cameron&#39;s successor is named on September 9. 
 
&quot;If someone from the &#39;Remain&#39; camp will become British PM this has to be done in two weeks after his appointment,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;If the next British PM is coming from the &#39;Leave&#39; campaign it should be done the day after his appointment.&quot; 
 
EU president Donald Tusk meanwhile said leaders appreciated that the situation needs to calm down in Britain following the Brexit vote before the next steps can be taken. 
 
&quot;The leaders understood that some time is needed for the dust to settle,&quot; Tusk said. 
 
(AFP)

European Commission president expects Britain to trigger article 50 soon after Cameron's successor is named on September 9

Britain does not have "months to meditate" on the next steps following the Brexit vote, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday. "I have some understanding for the fact that (Prime Minister) David Cameron wants to have some time in order to meditate," Juncker told a news conference after an EU summit. "We want Article 50 (of the Lisbon Treaty formally stating Britain's intention to leave) to be triggered as soon as possible. It has to be speeded up. We don't have months to meditate, we have to act." Juncker added: "What I don't understand is that those who wanted to leave (the EU) are totally unable to tell us what they want." "I thought that if you want to leave you have a plan, you have a project, you have a global picture," he said. Juncker also said that he expected Britain to trigger Article 50 very soon after Cameron's successor is named on September 9. "If someone from the 'Remain' camp will become British PM this has to be done in two weeks after his appointment," he said. "If the next British PM is coming from the 'Leave' campaign it should be done the day after his appointment." EU president Donald Tusk meanwhile said leaders appreciated that the situation needs to calm down in Britain following the Brexit vote before the next steps can be taken. "The leaders understood that some time is needed for the dust to settle," Tusk said. (AFP)

EU's Juncker says Britain doesn't have 'months to meditate'