Turkey's Erdogan says European Parliament report 'provocative'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses visiting police officers in Ankara, Turkey April 7, 2016, in this handout photo provided by the Presidential Palace. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via Reuters

ANKARA (Reuters) - A recent report by the European Parliament that criticised Turkey's record on human rights and media freedom is "provocative" at a time when relations with Europe are on a good track, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. Speaking to a group of local officials in Ankara, Erdogan also said that most of the criticism of Turkey coming from the West had "bad intentions". The European Parliament last week approved its annual progress report on Turkey, a candidate for European Union membership, that criticised Ankara's record on rights and press freedom in 2015. (Reporting by Ercan Gurses and Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick Tattersall)