Erdogan to EU: Don’t exclude Turkey from bloc

Turkish President Recep Erdogan on Thursday stepped up his rhetoric against the European Union, even as he insisted his country was still interested in joining the bloc.
“We have been present in Europe for over 650 years without interruption, with our state, our culture and our civilisation and we will continue to be present,” Erdogan told local officials in Ankara.
Erdogan accused the EU of backtracking on promises to Turkey, including visa-free access to the bloc.
The EU has been demanding key reforms in Turkey before accession talks can advance.
In November, the European Parliament recommended freezing the negotiations, as concerns about human rights violations in Turkey mount.
In July, a coup by a faction in the military failed, since then, some 37,000 people have been arrested.
A state of emergency has granted the government sweeping powers.
Report says European concerns include the over 120 journalists in jail in Turkey, along with 10 members of parliament from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).