EU envoy to Turkey quits after row

The EU’s top diplomat in Turkey has stepped down after a row with Ankara over his criticism of the government’s conduct in a landmark migrant deal, his office said on Tuesday.

The departure of Hansjoerg Haber is indicative of the increasingly-fractious relationship between Ankara and Brussels, even as both sides try and implement a key agreement aimed at reducing the flow of migrants to the European Union. “We confirm that the ambassador has resigned,” a spokesperson told AFP in a move confirmed by the office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Mr Haber, a German diplomat who headed the EU delegation to Ankara, had come under fire after comments to the media on May 13 in which he bitterly criticised the Turkish government’s conduct in implementing the deal. He had only been in his post since October.