Italy Favours 'New Page' in Ties With Turkey, Emphasizes Free Press

Italy and France want to "open a new page" in Europe’s relations with Turkey, but assign first preference to the issue of free press, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Tuesday.

ROME (Sputnik) – Renzi met French President Francois Hollande in Venice to commemorate Valeria Solesin, an Italian student killed in the November 13, 2015, Paris terrorist attacks.

"We want to participate in creating a new page in relations between Turkey and Europe, but at the same time we say clearly and distinctly that press freedom is of primary importance for France, Italy, and for all those who believe in the fundamental values of the European Union," Renzi said at a joint press conference.

The Italian leader’s remarks came as the 28-member bloc faced criticism for failing to denounce Ankara’s seizure and closure of opposition media outlets over the weekend.

Brussels’ perceived "blind eye" toward Ankara’s media restrictions preceded an EU-Turkey migration summit in which the sides agreed in principle to new measures tackling Europe's refugee crisis.

Under the terms of the new readmission agreement, said to take effect on June 1, Turkey pledged to accept undocumented migrants in exchange for legally recognized Syrian refugees on a one-for-one basis in exchanged for fast-tracked visa liberalization and EU admission talks. Ankara also requested $3.3 billion, in addition to the previously pledged $3.3 in the next two years, for refugee reallocation projects in 2018.

Meanwhile, access to Turkey's Zaman opposition newspaper and other outlets under the Feza Media Group ownership was closed following a court decision to place the management of government trustees.

Police used tear gas, water cannons and plastic bullets to disperse protesters disputing the state takeover of Zaman, Today's Zaman and the Cihan news agency.