.jpg){kind=link}
The European Commission warned that Turkey’s disputes with Greece and Cyprus remain a threat to regional stability, even as it acknowledged that Greek-Turkish relations have improved overall since 2023.
In its annual progress report on Turkey, released Wednesday, the Commission said flights over Greek islands had resumed and violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters had risen significantly. It also said the factors that froze Turkey’s path to European Union membership in 2018 remain unresolved.
Beyond the regional disputes, the Commission said Turkey had moved backward on judicial independence, fundamental rights and media freedom. Legal action against elected officials, opposition figures and civil society had widened the gap between Ankara’s stated goal of EU membership and its record on the political criteria for accession, the report found.
Ankara rejected the report as prejudiced and unfair. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry accused the EU of adopting what it called the “maximalist” positions of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, and dismissed the Commission’s assessments of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Turkey-Libya maritime agreement.
Aegean Disputes Remain Despite Dialogue
The 120-page report covers developments from September 1, 2025, to September 1, 2026. It notes that Greek and Turkish officials continued political dialogue and military confidence-building measures. However, it says Turkey kept issuing unauthorized navigational warnings and demanding the demilitarization of Greek islands, implicitly disputing Greek sovereignty and jurisdiction.
The Commission also recorded that the Turkish parliament’s 1995 threat of war if Greece extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean remains in force. It raised concern over Turkey’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and said reported military overflights of Greek islands increased, including incidents in September.
The report also cites the Turkish marine parks announced in August, which it says extend predominantly beyond Turkish territorial waters into the high seas. Brussels called on Ankara to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all EU member states and to settle disputes peacefully, including through the International Court of Justice if necessary.
Commission Rejects Libya Deal, Cites Cable Obstruction
On the Turkey-Libya maritime agreement, the Commission repeated the EU position that the 2019 memorandum violates the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the law of the sea and is legally void. Libya’s eastern-based parliament ratified the agreement in October.
The report also notes Turkey continued to impede surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, the EU-backed electricity cable planned between Greece and Cyprus. The project is intended to connect Cyprus to the European power grid and could later extend to Israel, a plan that has attracted renewed US and French support.
Turkey Still Refuses to Recognize Cyprus
On Cyprus, the Commission said Turkey still refuses to recognize the Republic of Cyprus and continues to advocate a two-state settlement contrary to United Nations Security Council resolutions. It urged Ankara to recommit to UN-led talks and avoid unilateral actions that could increase tensions.
It also cited continuing Turkish military exercises in Cypriot maritime zones and drone flights in its airspace. In July, Turkey signed an agreement with the Turkish Cypriot administration in the island’s north to develop an undersea gas pipeline without the Cypriot government’s consent, the report said. The Commission also demanded that Ankara reverse steps to reopen the fenced-off area of Varosha, citing U.N. resolutions.
The assessment said Turkey continued to obstruct surveys for the Great Sea Interconnector, an EU-backed electricity project. It also noted reports of harassment of Cypriot fishing boats and illegal fishing activity.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
