EU Leaders Warn Erdogan on Human Rights Amid Progress in Talks 

ISTANBUL - European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday for talks on a reset in relations. After meeting Erdogan in Ankara, Michel spoke to reporters about the EU's deep concern over human rights in Turkey.

“The rule of law and respect of fundamental rights are core values of the European Union, and we shared with President Erdogan our deep worries on the latest developments in Turkey in this respect, in particular on the freedom of speech and the targeting of political parties and media,” Michel said.  State prosecutors last month opened a closure case against Turkey's second-largest opposition party. While Ankara withdrew in April from the Istanbul Convention, a European treaty that legally protects women.   Emma Sinclair of the New York based Human Rights Watch has been calling for a tougher stance by the EU.