The EU adhesion course of in Türkiye, which has been stopped since 2018, can’t be relaunched within the present circumstances, regardless of the geopolitical and strategic significance of Ankara, states a report by the European Parliament.
The deputies in Strasbourg permitted the report on Wednesday, with 367 votes in favor, 74 towards and 188 abstentions.
“The adhesion course of is frozen. There are not any progress,” Nacho Sánchez Amor, Spanish Mep (S&D/Spain) and speaker for the connection in Turkey advised Euronews.
The arrest of the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İMamuğlu, the repression of anti -government manifestations and human rights violations have been all underlined as indicators of democratic backsliding.
“The detention and harassment of … i̇mamoğlu are most likely the height of this repressive pattern,” mentioned Sánchez Amor.
Strategic partnership in progress
However, the report noticed that Ankara stays a strategic companion of the block and a key ally of NATO, specifically for its rising affect in Ukraine, within the Black Sea and the Middle East.
During a debate on the European Parliament, the European Commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos underlined the necessity to deepen cooperation with Turkey in areas of mutual strategic curiosity reminiscent of local weather, vitality security and commerce.
“The 2016 EU-Turkey Declaration continues to offer outcomes. Irregular arrivals from Türkiye to EU decreased by 33% this 12 months in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months,” mentioned Kos.
The deputies additionally criticized the latest go to of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan within the occupied areas of Cyprus, acknowledged solely by Ankara. The island was divided by the Turkish invasion in 1974, whereas the Republic of Cyprus is totally member of the EU.
While Sánchez Amor believes that the Turkey door that joins the blockade has not been closed ceaselessly, he underlined that “there are not any shortcuts for adhesion to the EU”.
“We should make a distinction between the nation and its present leaders. It is true that below the AKP regime, it’s not possible to go on as a result of there is no such thing as a political will to advance democratic values,” he mentioned.
“But there’s a dynamic civil society that … desires to maintain the hope that maybe sooner or later, with different leaders, one other nation, in a unique setting, this might be a chance for Turkey to work new with the European Union on the idea of belonging”, added Sánchez Amor.
According to a European Commission report, Turkey’s alignment with EU overseas and safety coverage had dropped to five% in 2024.
