Ankara slams anti-Turkish campaigns in in EU Parliament vote

Without giving names, the foreign ministry said Ankara was "following with regret the negative statements and rhetoric about Turkey’s European Union membership process in some countries."  Â

The statement denounced "meaningless formulae" to offer Ankara alternatives to full EU membership such as privileged partnership or broader cooperation between the 27-member bloc and Mediterranean countries.

"Turkey rejects that rhetoric which has nothing to do with good will," the statement said. Â

"Using that rhetoric in election campaigns creates a climate misleading the European voter and fanning xenophobia," it added.

The leaders of EU heavyweights France and Germany have been particularly vocal in their opposition to Turkey’s accession.

Far-right parties in other member countries have also campaigned against the mainly Muslim country’s membership aspirations as part of a broader agenda against the "Islamisation" of Europe.

The EU parliamentary elections began Thursday in Britain and the Netherlands and will end Sunday when most of the 27 member nations go to the polls.

In the Dutch vote, the far-right Party for Freedom -- whose leader Geert Wilders has gained international notoriety with attacks on Islam -- was the big winner, coming second in its first-ever campaign, according to exit polls.