On Thursday 7 November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for his country’s membership prospects to be strengthened, arguing that this was in the interests of Europe and the region at a time when negotiations have been frozen since 2018.
“There is no reasonable justification for blocking for years the accession of a member country like Turkey, which significantly contributes to the prosperity and security of the continent. In the current geopolitical conjecture, it is evident that strengthening our membership prospects would be in the interest of both Europe and our neighbouring region”, he explained at the fifth summit of the European Political Community.
The EU has put negotiations on hold due to the Rule of law situation in Turkey and, on the same day, at her hearing before MEPs, European Commissioner-designate for Enlargement Marta Kos warned that progress in resolving the Cyprus issue was a prerequisite for advancing Turkey’s EU accession process (see EUROPE 13520/3).
The president explained that his country was ready for dialogue and cooperation to advance its relations with the EU, hoping in particular for greater participation in European defence.
“Turkey’s full inclusion in the EU’s defence efforts is a must for Europe’s peace and security”, explained Mr Erdoğan, hoping that the way would be opened “without delay” for Turkey’s participation in the European Defence Agency and permanent structured cooperation projects.
“Turkey’s support is imperative in finding solutions to large-scale issues that affect Europe and beyond”, added the president. One of the conditions for a third country to participate in these projects is to respect the principle of good neighbourliness, while Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus.
Rare Erdoğan/Christodoulides meeting. On the sidelines of the European Political Community meeting, the Turkish president met with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides. Meetings between the two leaders are very rare as the two countries do not maintain diplomatic relations.
Mr Christodoulides stressed the “need to resolve the Cyprus issue”, with the “resumption of substantive negotiations”. “I expressed our willingness, as the Republic of Cyprus, to contribute to the strengthening of Euro-Turkish relations, as well as to concrete and substantial progress in resolving the Cyprus issue, always on the basis of the agreed framework”, he stressed, according to a press release from the Cypriot presidency. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)