The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that “full integration into the European Union is our strategic objective. It is obvious that it is for our mutual interest for the bloc to approach Turkey with a similar perspective».
“Ankara seeks to strengthen its friendship with the West”
Despite “obstacles” such as the Cyprus issue and different approaches to the war on terror, Erdogan’s recent statements have confirmed that Ankara seeks to strengthen its friendship with the West, rejecting criticism that changed in foreign policy.
According to Dailysabah, some say that Turkey is increasingly moving away from the West and moving towards alternative alliances, such as partnerships with Russia, China or different regions like Latin America and the Gulf. However, Turkish foreign policy officials have repeatedly dismissed these claims, saying that the country seeks a balance between the East, the West and other alternative formations, pursuing a foreign policy based on realism and pragmatism in recent years.
Erdogan’s remarks came during a press conference with his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis in the capital Ankara on Thursday.
Echoing the Turkish leader, Karis also said that his country supports Turkey’s accession to the EU and highlighted the importance of “strategic dialogue”. He confirmed his country’s firm support for Turkey’s EU membership application, underlining the importance of continued dialogue between Ankara and Brussels. Karis praised the Turkish Republic as a key strategic partner for the security of the EU’s neighborhood.
Turkey’s relationship with the European enterprise began in 1959 with the signing of the Ankara Agreement, which aimed at gradual economic integration between Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC), the precursor to the EU. convergence and potential future integration of the country.
In 1999, Turkey’s ambitions took a decisive step forward when it was granted official status as a candidate country for full EU membership. This decision was met with enthusiasm but also with caution within the EU, reflecting the mixed nature of a large and culturally diverse nation like Turkey.
Formal accession negotiations began in 2005, during the tenure of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who still governs the country. These negotiations included a comprehensive assessment of Turkey’s alignment with the EU acquis, a vast set of laws, regulations and policies that form the bloc’s foundations. The process involved the opening and temporary closing of individual chapters, each representing a specific policy area, after specified criteria were met.
However, the path to integration has proven difficult. Progress in the negotiations has been slow. By 2016, only 16 of the 35 chapters had been opened and only one had been temporarily closed. In 2018, accession negotiations reached an impasse. The EU expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on key issues, while the Turkish Republic criticised what it saw as double standards and a lack of commitment from the EU. This resulted in the de facto suspension of the accession process, leaving Turkey’s future EU membership in a state of uncertainty.
Despite the delay in negotiations, the relationship between the bloc and Turkey remains multifaceted. The two sides continue to cooperate on a number of issues of mutual interest. This ongoing engagement, although not directly linked to the accession process, demonstrates the different nature of their relationship.
Since early summer 2023, Ankara and the bloc have been working to revive ties, which for many years operated not in the direction of mutual trust and strategic goals, but simply out of necessity.
Following the conclusion of presidential and parliamentary elections in May 2023, Brussels changed its rhetoric from “the importance of cooperation with Turkey” to “the continuation of relations on a strategic and forward-looking basis”. The bloc emphasizes the strategic interest in developing relations with the Turkish Republic of Turkey based on cooperation and mutual benefit.
President Erdogan’s reaffirmation of Turkey’s commitment to EU membership, combined with the supportive stance of EU Member States such as Estonia, highlights the potential for a new phase in EU-Turkey relations. It is hoped that this phase, characterized by strategic dialogues and mutual understanding, will pave the way for addressing long-standing issues and revitalizing the accession process, bringing both parties closer to achieving their common objectives.