The European Union will no longer play a key role in Turkey’s post-election reform efforts because there is no clear perspective on Turkish accession into the 27-nation bloc, Turkey’s ambassador Selim Kuneralp to the EU said.

European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said that it is possible for the European Commission (EC) to launch accession talks with several countries from the West Balkans by the end of the year. 

Euro zone finance ministers early this morning withheld the release of a EUR 12 billion loan to Greece, saying they could not authorise the release of the money until the Greek parliament backed a swingeing new austerity plan.