STRASBOURG - The leaders of the European Parliament's two largest groups called on Tuesday for the European Union to halt membership talks with Turkey because of its post-coup purges. 'Our message to Turkey is very clear: accession negotiations should be frozen immediately,' said Manfred Weber, the head of the largest faction in the European Parliament, the center-right European People's Party. He was echoed by Gianni Pitella, the leader of the socialist group, the parliament's second biggest: 'We want to freeze the accession talks.'
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)