European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who oversees EU membership bids, spoke to Reuters about Turkey during EU Foreign Ministers Meeting. Stating that “Turkey’s EU dream is over for now”, Hahn said that a new model based on “trade and security ties” is being discussed.

Speaking to Reuters during EU Foreign Ministers Meeting in Malta, Hahn said: “Everybody’s clear that, currently at least, Turkey is moving away from a European perspective. Turkey’s EU dream is over for now.”

Noting that no talks have been held with Turkey since January last year “as part of ascension process”, Hahn commented on EU-Turkey relations: “We have to see what could be done in the future, to see if we can restart some kind of cooperation.”

Hahn also stated that “France and Germany led efforts to consider a new deal with Ankara based on trade and security ties”.

European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who oversees EU membership bids, stated that there cannot be any negotiation on criteria of membership and added: “There is no version of Turkish democracy. There is only democracy. Turkish people have the same rights to live in freedom as Europeans do.”

In response to the question whether EU was partly responsible for Turkey’s turn towards a more centralized system, Hahn said: “Nobody can claim to be blameless, but it is always the sovereign decision of a country.”