European Union–Turkey relations

Bulgaria has received so far 50 migrants from Greece under the EU relocation quotas, data of the European Commission presented on September 6, reported Standart News.

Bulgaria promised to receive 860 migrants from Greece. No migrants were received by the beginning of this week from Italy and Turkey.

Bulgaria has to receive from Italy 471 under that agreement.

Turkey cannot be expelled from the Customs Union even if Germany sought it, Turkey's deputy prime for the economy said late on Sept. 5.      

Speaking on the state-run channel TRT Haber, Mehmet Şimşek stated that he believes many countries in the EU will act with common sense.      

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Sept. 5 that Turkey was drifting away from the rule of law fast and vowed to push her EU partners to consider suspending or ending its accession talks at an October meeting.
   

Turkey's European Union membership accession talks will continue, said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday, underlining Ankara's role as a partner in the region.

"We are continuing to talk with Turkey," Mogherini said in the northwestern Slovenian town of Bled, where she came for the 2017 Bled Strategic Forum.

The refugee crisis and the EU deal with Turkey dominated the TV debate between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition ally SPD challenger Martin Schulz on Sunday. The rivals agreed, however, that Turkey can't be part of the EU.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Turkey is fully responsible for the poor state of its accession talks with the EU, and with its actions the country is moving away of the European Union very quickly.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Aug. 29 said Turkey was to blame for the breakdown of its EU accession talks and warned Ankara was fast "withdrawing from Europe."

Juncker warned that "Turkey is withdrawing from Europe with giant steps," adding that it was up to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to officially call an end Turkey's efforts to join the EU.

Call for EU countries to back Germany to pressure Turkey through economic measures have failed to grab much support, said Foreign Minister Sigman Gabriel on Aug. 27.

Speaking at an open event in Berlin, the German minister recalled that the government had sought support from EU countries against Turkey.

Turkey will never be a member of the European Union as long as it is governed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Aug. 24, accusing the Turkish president of failing to take accession talks with the bloc seriously.

Turkey will never be a member of the European Union as long as it is governed by Tayyip Erdogan, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Thursday, accusing the Turkish president of failing to take accession talks with the bloc seriously.