The EU said it would open no new areas in Turkey’s membership talks in the “currently prevailing circum-stances” because of concerns about its post-coup crackdown. Austria however refused to sign the statement because it wants a complete freeze of Turkey’s long-stalled accession process, including negotiations that are currently underway. “Under the currently prevailing circumstances, no new chapters are considered for opening,” said the statement by the EU presidency, which is currently held by Slovakia. A “chapter” is a specific area of negotiations, whose issues range from human rights to economic cooperation.