MEPs tell Turkey to respect democratic values

The European Parliament on Tuesday urged Brussels and Ankara to break the current deadlock and find a “parallel and realistic framework” for EU-Turkey relations.

In a report adopted on the same day (47 votes in favour, no votes against and 10 abstentions), the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament said unless there was a drastic change of course on the part of the Turkish government, the country’s EU accession process cannot resume under the current circumstances.

Urging the Turkish government, the European Union and the bloc’s member states to break the current deadlock and move towards a closer partnership, MEPs recommended starting a reflection process to find a parallel and realistic framework for EU-Turkey relations.

They called on the Commission to explore possible formats for a mutually acceptable framework.

In the report, MEPs confirmed that Turkey remains a candidate for EU accession, a Nato ally and a key partner in security, trade and economic relations, and migration.

They stressed that Turkey is expected to respect democratic values, rule of law, human rights and abide by EU laws, principles and obligations.

The report urges Ankara to ratify Sweden’s Nato membership without any further delay, underlining that the Nato accession process of one country can in no way be linked to the EU accession process of another. Each country’s progress on the path towards the EU remains based on its own merits, MEPs stressed.

They welcomed Turkey’s vote in favour of condemning Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in the UN General Assembly and its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, but regretted that Ankara does not support sanctions outside the UN framework.

MEPs also commended Turkey’s efforts in continuing to host the largest refugee population in the world of almost four million people. They welcomed the continued provision of EU funding for refugees and host communities in the country, and expressed their strong commitment to sustain this in the future.

Foreign Affairs Committee rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor said: “We have recently seen a renewed interest from the Turkish government in reviving the EU accession process. This will not happen as a result of geopolitical bargaining, but when Turkish authorities show real interest in stopping the continuous backsliding in fundamental freedoms and rule of law. If the Turkish government is sincere in this they should show it with concrete reforms and actions.”

EU-Turkey accession negotiations have effectively stalled since 2018.

The report will now be submitted to a vote in the European Parliament as a whole at one of the next plenary sessions.