‘Türkiye, EU need each other,’ says European Commission spokesperson

Türkiye and the European Union mutually need each other, according to the EU Commission’s lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, Peter Stano, who emphasized the importance of Türkiye during a meeting with Turkish journalists in Brussels.

Importance of mutual strength

“We need each other because we are stronger together,” Stano said, acknowledging Türkiye’s significance to the bloc. However, he noted that the EU’s approach is guided by principles and values, stating that progress can only be made with consensus between the parties.

Stano lamented the current accession negotiations, which have been effectively frozen for years, describing it as a “sad state of affairs because Türkiye is important for the region and the union.”

Stalled negotiation, key obstacles

In response to a question on why Türkiye is being treated as a neighboring country rather than a full membership candidate, Stano remarked: “I see nothing wrong in approaching Türkiye as a neighbor country,” adding that being a neighbor to Türkiye is a “privilege.”

Regarding the possibility of restarting stalled negotiations, Stano explained that this would require the approval of all EU member states, including the Greek Cypriot administration.

He highlighted the Cyprus issue as a major obstacle to improved relations and urged Türkiye to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration to facilitate progress.

Türkiye applied for EU membership in 1987 and has been a candidate country since 1999. Membership negotiations began in 2005 but stalled in 2007 because of the Cyprus issue and opposition from several member states.

The Greek Cypriot administration joined the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots rejected a U.N. plan to resolve the longstanding dispute. France’s opposition to Türkiye’s full membership and the political conditions imposed by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration continue to be significant hurdles in Türkiye’s EU accession process.