Turkiye expects the EU to change its attitude towards the country, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told BTA. On Tuesday, Fidan gave a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel, who was paying an official visit to Ankara.
It was recently reported that Turkiye plans to discuss in September with European Union officials a renewal of its roadmap for relations with the bloc. Fidan commented on Ankara’s expectations from a new Turkiye-EU roadmap, and the obstacles the country faces in the process of seeking full EU membership.
Turkiye's top diplomat recalled that when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected in May, he stressed his country's desire to continue its efforts related to its EU membership bid, and noted that this was Turkiye's will.
Fidan said that his ministry now has the important task of coordinating the actions taken on the issue by initiating meetings with EU representatives.
“We expect the EU to change its attitude towards Turkiye. We need to work rationally. We know that so far no rational assessment has been made and the process has been politicised,” the foreign minister said. Turkiye has the right to take its place in the EU and will be a strategic partner, Fidan told BTA, adding that for many years Ankara has taken many important steps of those required by the EU.
According to Fidan, Turkiye's EU accession process was "abruptly halted", with the situation taking on "political overtones".
The Turkish Minister highlighted that Ankara believes its EU membership will strengthen the EU's position as a global player, but EU member states do not see the matter the same way.
Turkiye's EU membership offers new opportunities for both the EU and the region, Fidan said, urging European leaders to seize this new opportunity before the door closes.
At the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius, Turkiye agreed to send to parliament the protocol on Sweden's accession to the Alliance as soon as possible in exchange for certain commitments from the EU, Sweden and the US, Turkish media reported. According to the information, the obstacles Turkiye is facing in the process of full EU membership, such as visa liberalisation, and updating of the Customs Union Agreement, in particular, were put on the country's agenda.
Turkiye has been an official candidate for EU membership for 24 years, but accession negotiations have been stalled since 2016 because of the EU's concerns over human rights violations and respect for the rule of law in the country.
Turkiye, an associate member of the EU since 1964, applied to join the community on April 14, 1987. The negotiation process began in 2005. In order to become a member of the EU, Turkiye must successfully complete negotiations with the European Commission, which it is conducting under 35 negotiating chapters.
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