When presenting its report on the state of accession negotiations with Turkey – which have been at a standstill since 2018 (see EUROPE 13515/4) – on Tuesday, 4 November, the European Commission stressed that although dialogue on the rule of law remains central to EU-Turkey relations, the deterioration in democratic standards, judicial independence, and fundamental rights has yet to be addressed.
“The arrests of and charges brought against elected officials, opposition figures, political activists, civil society and business representatives, journalists, and others since the beginning of 2025 gave rise to increasing questions regarding Türkiye’s adherence to its democratic tradition”, indicates the European Commission’s communication on enlargement.
The European Commission has assured that the dialogue on the rule of law constitutes an integral part of EU-Turkey relations and that it will remain committed to addressing these worrying developments.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, MEP Geadis Geadi (ECR, Cypriot) spoke out against the increasingly extensive violations of fundamental rights in this country. He criticised Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus and called on the EU to condemn these machinations.
Turkey still refuses to recognise the Republic of Cyprus and has repeatedly advocated [adopting] a two-state solution on the island, which runs “contrary to relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions”, according to the European Commission.
The report on Turkey: https://aeur.eu/f/ja1 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)