UK Foreign Secretary calls on EU to reduce pressure on Turkey

The British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called on his European counterparts to lessen pressure on Turkey over its implementation of the death penalty.

Johnson urged the EU to stop pushing Turkey “into a corner” saying: “Let us remember that they lived a hard time there and a very serious coup attempt.”

The head of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, threatened earlier that he would halt Turkey’s EU accession talks over Ankara’s intention to resume the death penalty for those involved in the coup attempt that took place in July.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his country intends to hold a referendum on leaving the EU accession talks by the end of this year.