14/03/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 14 March, Turkey's foreign affairs ministry announced that the statement published by the EU the previous day calling on Ankara to refrain from excessive statements on the tension with several EU member states was "short-sighted" and had "no value" for Turkey (see EUROPE 11744). "The EU should realise that the statement fuels extremism, such as xenophobia and anti-Turkish sentiments because the call to refrain" from excessive statements "is made only to Turkey, instead of the countries that caused this situation by violating diplomatic conventions and international law", the ministry added. It said the EU had "once again acted in a far from objective manner and without thoroughly assessing the developments". In the opinion of the Turkish foreign affairs ministry, its "EU counterparts only selectively apply democratic values, fundamental rights and freedoms". (CG)