Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a stinging attack on the European Union over its criticism of police raids on opposition media.
Erdogan has bluntly told Brussels to "mind its own business".
Turkey has come under fire at home and abroad over the lightning arrests on Sunday of over two dozen journalists, television producers and police linked to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who has emerged as Erdogan's arch-foe.
The EU led the criticism with foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn condemning the raids as "incompatible with the freedom of media".
But Erdogan said he didn't care what impact the arrests would have on Turkey's long-stalled membership bid to join the EU.
"The European Union cannot interfere in steps taken ... within the rule of law against elements that threaten our national security," he said in a televised speech in the western city of Izmit.
"They should mind their own business," he added, in his first comments after Sunday's raids.
"I wonder if those who keep this country at the EU doorstep for 50 years know what this step means?" Erdogan said, referring to the arrests.
Among a total of at least 27 people arrested were Ekrem Dumanli, the editor-in-chief of the Zaman daily newspaper which is closely linked to Gulen and Hidayet Karaca, the head of the pro-Gulen Samanyolu TV (STV).
Also detained were staff including a producer, a director and scriptwriters on popular TV drama series Tek Turkiye (One Turkey) broadcast on STV. The director and two scriptwriters were released overnight.
The Zaman daily reported that two more detainees were set free on Monday, including the newspaper's columnist Ahmed Sahin. The other suspects were still being questioned by the Istanbul police.
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