One sentence summary – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested the possibility of Turkey severing ties with the European Union (EU) following a resolution adopted by the European Parliament (EP) criticizing Turkey’s approach and stating that its EU accession process cannot be resumed without significant change; however, experts argue that a formal termination of Turkey’s EU membership talks would not be in the best interest of either side and suggest exploring alternative ways to cooperate.
At a glance
- Turkish President Erdogan suggests possibility of severing ties with the EU
- European Parliament resolution criticizes Turkey’s elections, human rights, and relationship with Russia
- Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the resolution
- EP’s influence on EU’s enlargement is limited
- Experts argue for establishing an equal partnership platform instead of formally ending membership talks
The details
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested the possibility of Turkey severing ties with the European Union (EU).
This follows a resolution adopted by the European Parliament (EP) on September 13.
The EP resolution stated that Turkey’s EU accession process cannot be resumed without a significant change in Ankara’s approach.
Erdogan accuses EU of trying to break ties
Erdogan accused the EU of actively trying to break ties with Turkey.
He warned that Turkey would be willing to part ways if necessary.
EP resolution criticizes Turkey’s elections, human rights, and relationship with Russia
The EP resolution primarily criticized Turkey’s elections, human rights situation, and its relationship with Russia.
Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the resolution.
They described it as unjust and accused the European Parliament of adopting a shallow and non-visionary approach.
Turkey has been a candidate for EU accession since 1995.
However, full membership talks have remained deadlocked since the late 2010s.
The EP’s influence on the EU’s enlargement is limited.
The Parliament has previously called for the suspension of the EU’s accession talks with Turkey on multiple occasions through non-binding votes.
Several member states, including Austria, France, and Germany, have advocated for a different form of partnership rather than full membership.
However, it is unlikely that Turkey’s bid for full membership would officially end.
Many countries traditionally support the prospect of Turkish membership and continue the negotiations.
Experts argue that a formal termination of Turkey’s EU membership talks would not be in the best interest of either side.
They suggest that an equal partnership platform should be established.
The relationship between Turkey and the EU is expected to cool down.
Alternative ways to cooperate without formally ending the membership talks are likely to be explored.
The EP resolution linked improvements in specific areas requested by Turkey to meeting EU demands, particularly regarding freedom and human rights.
The resolution criticized Turkey’s press freedom, freedom of assembly and speech, as well as the political composition of the ruling coalition.
Furthermore, Turkey’s foreign policy in various regions faced criticism in the resolution.
This includes the delayed approval of Sweden’s NATO membership and Ankara’s actions in the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Cyprus, Libya, and the Aegean Sea.
Despite fulfilling the economic and political criteria of the EU, experts believe that the bloc will not open its doors to Turkey.
Therefore, an alternative path to address shared concerns will need to be explored.
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| aljazeera.com |
|---|
| – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested that Turkey could sever ties with the European Union (EU) following a resolution adopted by the European Parliament (EP) on September 13. – |
| The EP resolution stated that Turkey’s EU accession process cannot be resumed without a drastic change of course by Ankara. – Erdogan accused the EU of making efforts to sever ties with Turkey and stated that Turkey could part ways with the EU if necessary. – |
| The resolution criticized Turkey’s elections, human rights issues, and its relationship with Russia. – Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the resolution unjust and accused the European Parliament of having a shallow and non-visionary approach. – Turkey has been a candidate for EU accession since 1995, but full membership talks have been in deadlock since the late 2010s. |
| – |
| The EP has limited influence on the EU’s enlargement, but it has requested the official suspension of the EU’s accession talks with Turkey multiple times in non-binding votes. – Some member states, including Austria, France, and Germany, have called for a different form of partnership with Turkey instead of full membership. |
| – However, it is not realistic to believe that Turkey’s full membership bid would officially end as there are many countries that traditionally back the membership prospect and the talks. |
| – Experts believe that a formal end to Turkey’s EU membership talks is not in the best interest of either side and that a platform of equal partnership should be established. – |
| The relationship between Turkey and the EU is expected to become cooler, and an alternative way to cooperate without formally ending the membership talks is likely. – |
| The EP resolution linked improvements in certain areas of cooperation requested by Turkey to meeting EU demands regarding freedom and human rights. – |
| The resolution criticized Turkey on freedoms of the press, assembly, and speech, as well as the political makeup of the ruling coalition. |
| – It also criticized Turkey’s foreign policy in areas such as the delay in approving Sweden’s NATO membership and Ankara’s policies in the eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Cyprus, Libya, and the Aegean Sea. – Experts believe that the EU will not open its doors to Turkey even if it fulfills the economic and political criteria of the bloc, and an alternative path to address common issues is needed. |
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