Ankara welcomes EU’s recognition of Türkiye’s candidate status

Türkiye on Wednesday welcomed the European Union’s recognition of its candidate status, describing the acknowledgment as an “accurate and realistic” approach. The statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry followed the EU General Affairs Council’s adoption of its annual conclusions on the EU enlargement process on Tuesday.

“The emphasis in the conclusions on Türkiye’s candidate country status and key role is accurate and represents a realistic approach,” the ministry said. “In particular, we welcome the reinstatement of the High-Level Economic Dialogue meetings and the resumption of European Investment Bank activities in Türkiye.”

The ministry also praised the EU for recognizing Türkiye’s progress in macroeconomic policies and the positive steps taken to address trade issues stemming from the implementation of the Customs Union.

Türkiye expressed satisfaction with the EU’s acknowledgment of its efforts to reduce tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and its role in addressing the Russia-Ukraine war, calling these “accurate observations.”

Ministry rejects EU’s ‘one-sided’ assessments

However, the ministry rejected the EU’s assessments of Türkiye’s internal politics, calling them “one-sided” and “far from objective.”

The statement also highlighted that the council’s conclusions repeated Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration’s unrealistic and unlawful views, ignoring the legitimate concerns of both Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

“We would like to reiterate that the EU’s continued role as the mouthpiece of the Greek Cypriot side and its failure to consider the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people remain the primary impediment to a resolution on the island,” the statement added.

The Foreign Ministry emphasized that EU membership remains Türkiye’s strategic goal and called for a new vision to strengthen Türkiye’s path to membership. “In this regard, we expect the conclusions of the European Council from 15 July 2019, which restrict relations between Türkiye and the EU, to be completely revoked.”

The ministry suggested that holding High-Level Dialogue meetings in areas such as energy, transport, and political issues, along with Association Councils throughout 2025, would enhance dialogue and cooperation on foreign policy and regional matters.