Lagendijk: "The AKP should show that Turkey is moving not towards Iran, but towards the EU"

Speaking during annual meetings of the American-Turkish Council in Washington DC, European Union-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk yesterday said that certain circles in Turkey fear that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has a hidden agenda for the country. Urging the AKP to ease those anxieties, Lagendijk said that the party should show that it wants Turkey to move towards the European Union, not towards Iran. Stressing that in past years Ankara has been successful in realizing reforms, the EU commissioner decried what he called a recent slowdown, saying that Europe was disappointed by the AKP's performance. Commenting on the closure case against the AKP, he warned that if the party is closed, Turkey's EU membership talks might be suspended.