According to a European Parliament assessment, despite Ankara’s geopolitical and strategic significance, the EU accession process for Turkey, which has been stalled since 2018, cannot be restarted under the current conditions.
On Wednesday, the report was passed by Strasbourg MEPs with 367 votes in favour, 74 against, and 188 abstentions. The process of accession is halted. “No progress has been made,” Spanish MEP (S&D/Spain) Nacho Sánchez Amor, who served as the report’s rapporteur for Turkey, told Euronews. Human rights abuses, the crackdown on anti-government protests, and the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu were all seen as examples of democratic regression.
Nonetheless, the paper pointed out that Ankara is still a crucial NATO ally and a strategic partner of the alliance, especially given its expanding influence in the Middle East, the Black Sea, and Ukraine.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration with Turkey in areas of shared strategic interest, such as trade, energy security, and climate change, during a discussion in the European Parliament.
“The EU-Turkey migration statement from 2016 is still producing outcomes. Compared to the same period last year, irregular entries from Turkey to the EU have dropped by 33% this year, Kos said.
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