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Added on the 18/07/2016 11:51:27 - Copyright : Reuters EN
The EU says there is "no excuse" for Turkey to abandon the rule of law after the failed coup, which led to thousands of arrests made in the armed forces and judiciary. Yiming Woo reports.
The United States vows to keep promoting human rights in Turkey, while also calling for cooperation, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expel the ambassador over his advocacy. "We will continue to promote the rule of law and respect for human rights globally," State Department spokesperson Ned Price tells reporters during a briefing in Washington, DC. SOUNDBITE
The EU says it will drop action started against Poland six years ago over rule-of-law concerns that could have led Warsaw to lose its vote in the bloc's affairs. The European Commission said it intends to withdraw the procedure launched under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union after Warsaw's new centrist government took steps to remedy the issues. SOUNDBITE
During a press conference with Belgian PM Alexander de Croo and Polish Pm Donald Tusk, EU chief, Ursula Von der Leyen, announces that aid for Poland frozen over rule-of-law row has now been unblocked. SOUNDBITE
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says Poland will only receive the money from its 35.4-billion euro ($38 billion) post-Covid economic recovery package if it carries out rule of law reforms. She says the EU's approval of the plan announced on Wednesday is "important" but only "a first step, as the money will be disbursed when the reforms and investments are in place". SOUNDBITE