Turkey’s hopes of joining the European Union are fading, the bloc’s executive said Wednesday, blaming authoritarian rule for worse conditions in courts, prisons and the economy.

Still considered a security ally, Turkey’s candidacy to join the world’s largest trading group is frozen because of “further serious backsliding” on rights, the judiciary and economic policy, the Commission said in its annual progress report.

While Ankara has faced several years of harsh Commission reports, none have been so critical across so many areas, including monetary policy, public administration and the fight against corruption, which Brussels said was sorely lacking.

The bloc’s executive said free speech and freedom to protest were being curtailed, local democracy was at risk, and the government had harmed financial markets.

“Serious backsliding continued in the Turkish economy, leading to deeper concerns over the functioning of the country’s market economy,” it said.

Source: Reuters