Erdogan slams European Parliament report on Turkey

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan slammed a European Parliament report that noted a deterioration in press freedom and women's rights in Turkey, saying it was unbalanced and written by people who did not know the country.
“There is no balance in this report. Excuse me, but I believe, people who have prepared this document lack balance as well,” Erdogan said during a joint news conference with the visiting Serbian prime minister late on Thursday.
In a resolution passed on Wednesday on Turkey's accession bid, the European Parliament said the recent arrests of journalists could undermine confidence in Turkey's judiciary and adherence to democratic principles.
The report followed arrests in recent weeks of more than two dozen journalists accused of being part of an ultra nationalist, secularist group plotting against Erdogan's government.
The United States has also voiced concern over the arrests and called for a transparent investigation.
Ergogan, whose AK Party promotes Muslim values while denying plans to roll back the republic's traditional secularism, said 27 journalists were being held on suspicion of belonging to terrorist organisations and not because of their writings.
The prime minister, who has sounded increasingly impatient over the slow progress made since opening EU membership negotiations in 2005, said he saw no need to heed the European Parliament's report and Turkey would continue on its own way.
He said that the report did not describe the state of press freedom in Turkey and was “far from reflecting the reality in our country”, according to comments reported by state-run Anatolian news agency.
Turkey holds a national election in June, and opinion polls show Erdogan's AK on course to win a third consecutive term of single party rule, with a parliamentary majority.
If it wins, the AK plans to bring in a new constitution to replace one written under military rule in the early 1980s.
Using reforms meant to enhance Turkey's case for EU membership, the AK has succeeded in reducing the influence of a military that toppled four governments between 1960 and 1997.
Europe's Parliament commended Turkey on amendments to the constitution made after a referendum last year, and said more reform was needed to transform Turkey into a real democracy.