Turkey’s EU accession process, which has been stagnant since 2018, cannot be rebooted under current circumstances despite Ankara’s geopolitical and strategic importance, a report from the European Parliament said.
Strasbourg’s MEPS approved the report on Wednesday, with 367 votes, 74 votes and 188 votes aside.
“The submission process is frozen. There is no progress,” the Spanish MEP (S&D/Spain) and reporter Nacho Sanchez Amor told Euroneuz.
The arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamolu, cracking down on anti-government demonstrations, and human rights violations were all noted as signs of a Democratic reversal.
“…Imamor’s detention and harassment is probably the peak of this oppressive trend,” Sanchez Amor said.
Strategic Partnerships
However, the report said Ankara remains a strategic partner of the bloc and a major NATO ally, especially as its influence grows in Ukraine, the Black Sea and the Middle East.
During discussions in the European Parliament, European Expansion Commissioner Malta Kos highlighted the need to deepen cooperation with Turkey in areas of mutual strategic interests such as climate, energy security and trade.
“The 2016 EU-Turkey declaration on migration continues to have consequences. Turkey’s irregular arrivals to the EU have declined by 33% this year compared to the same period last year,” Kos said.
MEPS also criticized Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Cyprus’ occupied territory, only Ankara admitted. Although the island has been divided since the Turkish invasion in 1974, the Republic of Cyprus is a full-fledged member of the EU.
Sánchez Amor believes that the door to join the bloc in Turkey has not been permanently closed, but noted that “there is no shortcut to EU membership.”
“We need to distinguish between a country and its current leaders. It is true that under the AKP administration, it is not possible to move forward, as there is no political will to advance democratic values,” he said.
“But there is a dynamic civil society in which we want to live out the hope that in another country and another environment, perhaps other leaders, this could be an opportunity for Turkey to remarry the European Union based on membership,” added Sanchez Amor.
According to a report by the European Commission, the parallelism of Turkey with the EU’s general foreign and security policies fell to 5% in 2024.
