FM Fidan says reviving Türkiye-EU ties benefits all

Reviving relations between Türkiye and the European Union (EU) is in the common interest of all parties involved, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on Thursday at the EU’s informal foreign ministers meeting.

He emphasized that connecting the Cyprus issue to Türkiye-EU relations is not a constructive approach and will not lead to positive outcomes.

‘Türkiye-EU relations in everyone’s interest’

“We believe that reviving Türkiye-EU relations is in everyone’s interest. However, we emphasized that establishing a link between the Cyprus issue and Türkiye-EU relations is not a healthy method and will not yield any results,” Fidan told Anadolu Agency after attending an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The meeting, which took place at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, lasted about two hours and was seen as a positive step toward re-engaging Türkiye in EU discussions.

Türkiye’s EU membership: A strategic goal

Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan reiterated that EU membership remains a strategic goal for Türkiye and expressed hope for progress on a positive agenda. “If the EU also adopts a similar positive approach, this will be in everyone’s interest,” he added.

Türkiye’s EU membership negotiations, which began in 2005, have been stalled since 2007 because of the Cyprus issue and political opposition from several EU member states.

The Cyprus issue, a decades-long dispute between Türkiye and the EU, has been a major hurdle in Türkiye-EU relations. Despite numerous diplomatic efforts, a comprehensive settlement has yet to be reached.

Türkiye’s invitation to EU meeting

Fidan described Türkiye’s invitation to the meeting as a “positive development” towards reviving ties with the EU, noting that Türkiye had not been invited to such meetings for some time.

“Today, almost all of my EU colleagues emphasized that structural and regular dialogue and consultations should be continued with Türkiye in all areas, especially foreign, security, and defense policies,” Fidan said.

EU envoys also acknowledged Türkiye’s significant role in various global conflicts, including those in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Iraq, the Middle East, Africa and the South Caucasus. They underscored the importance of closer and deeper consultations between Türkiye and the EU to form common policies.

Türkiye-EU relations need concrete steps

Fidan stressed concrete steps need to be taken on technical issues to build momentum in Türkiye-EU relations.

He called for the reactivation of established dialogue mechanisms, which were suspended in 2019, and reiterated Türkiye’s expectations regarding the updating of the Customs Union.

Türkiye’s EU accession negotiations

Accession negotiations were launched on October 3, 2005, and the Negotiation Framework Document was announced. Thus, after this significant turning point, up and down relationship between Türkiye-EU entered a new era.

Until today, In Türkiye’s EU accession negotiations, 16 chapters are opened whereas one chapter is temporarily closed.