Turkey’s accession to the EU is contingent upon the Cyprus issue, Slovenian candidate for the position of EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Marta Kos said.

Kos was speaking before the committee on foreign affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament, during her hearing on Thursday in Brussels.

Kos said there will be “no further development” on Turkey unless there are developments on the Cyprus issue. She recalled that accession negotiations with Turkey had been halted due to Ankara’s general attitude, while also remarking that the country is a key partner for the EU.

Kos has been asked by a Finnish MEP whether Turkey still can be a prospective member given its policy of instrumentalising migration, delaying Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, invasion and occupation of part of Cyprus, and imprisonment of activists.

The candidate responded that following a joint report by the High Representative for Foreign and Security policy (HRVP) and the Commission, it had already been decided that “we should start talking with Türkiye on a different level than the enlargement process”, clarifying, however, that the negotiation process was frozen since Turkey did not follow EU rules.

“The United Nations-led process for a solution based upon UN security council resolutions is the right way to bring peace to this divided island 50 years after the invasion,” she said.

“This will also determine the pace of the future EU – Türkiye relationship. I will continue to engage with Türkiye, which is a candidate country and a key partner for the EU [but] it is essential to understand that cooperation cannot be simply a matter of economic alignment or geographical proximity,” she added.

Turkey’s permanent representative to the EU headquarters, Farouk Kaimakci and Turkish officials were present at the hearing.

After the fourth day of hearings, MEPs had given the green light to almost all Commissioner-designate candidates, including Kos, with the exception of Hungarian candidate Oliver Varhelyi who is required to submit written answers to new written questions by Monday.