In their annual report, MEPs urge the EU and Turkey to break the current impasse and find “a parallel and realistic framework” for EU-Turkey relations.
Unless the Turkish government radically changes course, Turkey’s EU accession process will not be able to resume under current circumstances, say MEPs in their report adopted on Wednesday by 434 votes in favor, 18 against and 152 abstentions.
EU accession negotiations have effectively stalled since 2018, due to the deterioration of the rule of law and democracy in Turkey.
Urging the Turkish government, the European Union and its Member States to break the current impasse and move towards a closer partnership, MEPs recommend finding a parallel and realistic framework for EU-Turkey relations and call on the Commission to explore possible formats.
MEPs confirm that Turkey remains a candidate for EU membership, a NATO ally and key partner in security, trade and economic relations and migration, stressing that the country is expected to respect democratic values, the rule of law, human rights and human rights. EU laws, principles and obligations.
No connection between Sweden’s NATO and Turkey’s EU accession processes
Parliament urges Turkey to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership without further delay and emphasizes that a country’s NATO accession process cannot in any way be linked to the accession process from another country to the EU. Each country’s progress within the EU remains based on its own merits, MEPs stress.
Report welcomes Turkey’s vote to condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine at the UN General Assembly and its commitment to the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity , regretting that Turkey does not support sanctions outside the UN framework. Turkey’s alignment rate with the EU’s common foreign and security policy has fallen to a historic low of 7%, making it by far the lowest of all enlargement countries.
EU commitment to support refugees and post-earthquake reconstruction efforts
MEPs welcome Turkey’s efforts to continue hosting the world’s largest refugee population of almost four million people. They welcome the fact that the EU continues to provide funding to refugees and host communities in Turkey, and are strongly committed to maintaining this funding in the future.
Expressing sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the devastating earthquakes of 6 February 2023, MEPs say the EU should continue to respond to Turkey’s humanitarian needs and reconstruction efforts. They emphasize that European solidarity could lead to a tangible improvement in relations between the EU and Turkey.
“We have recently seen renewed interest from the Turkish government to restart the EU accession process. This will not happen because of geopolitical horse-trading, but only when Turkish authorities demonstrate a real interest in ending the continued rollback of fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in the country. If the Turkish government really wants to restart its path towards the EU, it must demonstrate this through reforms and concrete actions, not through declarations,” said the rapporteur. Nacho Sánchez Amor.