Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the European Parliament’s President Martin Schulz’s threatening statements have no effect on Turkey, after the latter criticized the detention of journalists and opposition lawmakers on terror charges.

"Schulz’s threatening statements have no effect on us. First, he should stop the activities of the PKK in the European Parliament. If he is strong enough, he should be using this discourse against those supporting terror in the EU member countries," he said.

The Turkish minister said that Schulz would do whatever was necessary to impose economic sanctions against Turkey. "What we are seeing is that the EU and its parliament president's are using a hypocritical rhetoric," Daily Sabah cited him as saying.