Turkey ‘backsliding’ in bid to join EU, says Commission
The European Commission has accused Turkey of "serious backsliding" in rights and the rule of law since a failed coup on 15 July.
An EU official said Turkey was not heading in a European direction, as he gave an annual appraisal of its progress towards EU membership.
The Turkish president challenged the EU to "make your final decision".
For days there has been a war of words, with Europe accused of failing to take terrorism in Turkey seriously.
And a Turkish minister rejected the latest appraisal as "not objective".
The worsening relations have led to fears that an EU-Turkey deal on migrants in March could collapse.
• Is Turkey still a democracy?
• Turkey post-coup purges convulse society
Under the March 2016 agreement, migrants arriving in Greece are now sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected, but Turkey complains it has not got its end of the bargain.
A conditional promise of visa-free travel now seems a long way off.