The EU is finally calling Erdogan’s bluff. EU membership in exchange for his yes to Swedish NATO membership is now officially off the table. EU membership would translate to billions in subsidies for Turkey. This money ain’t coming. Will be interesting to see what Erdogan’s next move will be.
(Article translated from German)
EU Parliament takes on Turkey – and continues to speak out against accession talks
Stand: 15/09/2023, 12:52 p.m.
By: Erkan Pehlivan
The EU Parliament is making serious accusations against Turkey: accession to the Union is a long way off. Human rights groups have also voiced criticism.
Strasbourg – Relations between the European Parliament and Turkey are once again tense. The European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, Nacho Sánchez Amor, has presented his report on behalf of the country. In it, the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is once again sharply criticized. The report was adopted by a majority of Parliament's votes.
In his report, Amor discusses Ankara's relations with Russia, Sweden's NATO accession process, the state of rights and freedoms in Turkey, relations with its neighbours Armenia and Greece, and Cyprus, which remains divided. The embassy tells Turkey, which is calling for EU accession talks to continue, that they cannot continue under the current conditions. On X (formerly Twitter), Amor makes it unmistakably clear: "Our message is clear: if Turkey wants to revive the EU accession process, we need clear, concrete actions, not words!"
MEPs call on Turkey to respect human rights
MEPs recommend a parallel and realistic framework for EU-Turkey relations and call on the European Commission to explore possible formats. MEPs reaffirm that Turkey remains a candidate country, a NATO ally and an important partner in the areas of security, trade and economic relations and migration. However, Ankara must respect democratic values, the rule of law and human rights and comply with the EU's laws, principles and obligations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to carry out mass arrests of his critics. © Dpa
The EU report also criticises Turkey's behaviour in Sweden's accession process to NATO. Erdogan's delaying tactics have served Russia and undermined Turkey's relations with its NATO partners. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, Erdogan had recently assured that he would abandon his blockade against Sweden's admission.
Criticism for Sweden's hesitation in NATO accession process
The report also criticizes the delay in approving Sweden's NATO membership, noting that this situation only benefits Russia and undermines relations between Turkey and its NATO allies. The report also recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that Sweden's application for NATO membership will be discussed in the Turkish parliament. But after the G20 summit in India, there are renewed doubts as to whether Turkey will finally agree to Sweden's accession to NATO. It is up to Parliament to decide. Erdogan is apparently trying to put pressure on the US Congress, which has so far refused to approve a sale of F-16s.
Rights of queer people and women at risk
The situation of women and the LGBTI+ community is also becoming increasingly worrying for MEPs. For years, the demonstrations of queer people have been banned and violently dispersed. Turkey has also withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention, which aims to protect women from domestic violence.
Turkey report coincides with observations by Amnesty International and HRW
Especially with regard to human rights, the observations in the report coincide with those of human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Especially after the coup attempt of 2016, Erdogan had begun a witch hunt against his critics, whom he repeatedly calls "terrorists". As a result , there are repeated mass arrests of Kurds and alleged supporters of the so-called Gülen movement. Hundreds of thousands were arrested in the aftermath of the coup attempt, and many of them were sentenced to years in prison.
Turkey "classic regime from the Middle East"
Political scientist and Turkey expert Prof. Savas Genç also criticizes IPPEN in an interview with FR.de. MEDIA the ongoing violation of human rights in Turkey. "Since the Erdogan regime abolished democracy and brought the judiciary under its control, Turkey has moved away from a democratic country."
In its current state, Turkey would therefore not have been able to obtain the status of a candidate for EU membership. "Turkey is far from being a modern republic, let alone a democratic republic. The country has broken away from the Western pact," Genç said. Turkey is therefore perceived by the West only as a "classic regime from the Middle East".
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