The European Parliament has recently taken a firm stance on Türkiye’s stalled efforts to join the European Union, calling for a continued freeze on accession talks. On Wednesday, the legislative body emphatically urged a halt to Türkiye’s membership plans, pointing to unaddressed democratic failings and the silencing of dissent across the nation.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have raised alarm over Türkiye’s trajectory toward authoritarian governance, highlighting the politically motivated proceedings against opposition figures like Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Seen as a leading candidate to succeed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, İmamoğlu was imprisoned and stripped of his academic qualifications, effectively barring him from running for political office. European Parliament’s Türkiye rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, reflected on the implications, stating, “Membership is about democracy, and the further they [the Turkish government] push towards a full authoritarian model… the further they move away from EU membership.”
Additional points of contention include Erdoğan’s recent visit to the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus. This act has drawn criticism and reignited discussions on Türkiye’s longstanding and unresolved relationship with Cyprus after initial tensions in 2019 over nuclear safety concerns associated with Türkiye’s plans to build the Akkuyu nuclear plant, near Cypriot territory.
In the EU accession context, a candidate country must first satisfy political criteria, including adherence to democratic principles and the rule of law—standards outlined in the Copenhagen criteria. Recent decisions, such as the European Court of Human Rights ruling on Mustafa Aydin v. Türkiye, spotlight Türkiye’s ongoing struggles with providing fair trials and respecting fundamental rights, a key issue in the process.
Tensions between Türkiye and the EU aren’t entirely new, as illustrated by the prolonged accession process dating back to 2005. The European Parliament has called for a reassessment of priorities, criticising the EU for shifting focus away from human rights concerns and adopting a more transactional approach on issues like migration and regional security, as articulated in previous statements by rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor.
These developments are reported in further detail by JURIST.