Turkey’s path to EU membership remains blocked as Brussels warns that Ankara has failed to reverse its democratic backsliding or address deep concerns over the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and political pluralism.
The warning came during a debate in the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on the latest report on Turkey, which is expected to be put to a vote following a month of amendments. The report was approved by the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in late April.
Nacho Sánchez Amor, the Spanish Socialist MEP serving as rapporteur for the report, said Turkey’s EU accession process cannot be restarted under the country’s current political conditions.
EU accession talks remain frozen
Sánchez Amor told lawmakers that the EU has spent the past decade waiting for positive developments from Turkey, but has instead seen what he described as a clear lack of willingness to comply with European democratic standards.
He argued that Turkey has become an increasingly authoritarian state and questioned how such a country could move forward toward EU membership without major internal change.
At the same time, the rapporteur stressed that the EU should not abandon Turkish citizens, civil society groups, activists, and democratic forces who continue to support a European future for the country.
The message from the debate was clear: accession talks were rightly frozen and cannot resume unless Turkey makes concrete progress on the rule of law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.
Imamoglu detention adds to Brussels’ concerns
The debate also focused on detentions, prosecutions, and pressure on political opponents inside Turkey.
Sánchez Amor referred to the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, as well as intimidation targeting activists and government critics, saying such developments prevent any meaningful progress in Turkey’s EU accession process.
Imamoglu’s case has become one of the most closely watched political issues in Brussels, where EU officials and lawmakers see it as part of a wider pattern of pressure on opposition figures, journalists, civil society representatives, and businesspeople.
Greece and Cyprus are key to EU-Turkey relations
Despite the stalled accession process, Sánchez Amor said the EU still needs to build a functional framework for coexistence and cooperation with Turkey.
However, he emphasized that Greece and Cyprus are critical and inseparable pillars of that relationship. Any future EU-Turkey framework, he argued, must take their security concerns and regional position fully into account.
Security and defense remain central issues, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean. Lawmakers noted that serious trust deficits and unresolved disagreements over good-neighborly relations continue to shape the wider European approach to Ankara.
Those issues, they said, must be addressed in a meaningful way and cannot be separated from Turkey’s broader relationship with the EU.
Marta Kos says no restart without rule of law progress
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the report reflects serious concerns over developments in Turkey, while also describing the country as a key partner, a NATO ally, and an EU candidate country.
Kos said Turkey’s strategic goal of EU membership remains formally in place, but there has been no tangible progress on the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. Instead, she said, the EU has observed backsliding since 2018.
The commissioner also referred to the imprisonment of the Istanbul mayor and to legal action against politicians, journalists, and businesspeople. She warned that judicial developments affecting political pluralism remain a major obstacle.
Without progress on the rule of law, Kos said, there can be no possibility of restarting Turkey’s accession negotiations.
EU still seeks cooperation with Turkey
Even as Turkey’s membership path remains blocked, Brussels continues to pursue cooperation with Ankara in areas of shared interest. Kos said EU-Turkey relations are being reenergized in practical fields such as migration management, trade, and the customs union. Turkey currently hosts about 2.3 million refugees and remains an important partner for the EU in managing migration flows.
Turkey is also the EU’s fifth-largest trading partner, making economic ties a central part of the relationship despite political tensions. The commissioner said the EU has a strategic interest in stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and in a mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey. However, she made clear that any such relationship must also reflect the broader geopolitical balance involving Greece and Cyprus.
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