The heads of diplomacy of the Twenty-Seven are discussing on Thursday a possible strengthening of their relations with Turkey, failing to be able to offer it a credible prospect of accession to the EU and despite persistent disputes over Cyprus or the rule of law.
Ankara wants to “relaunch the accession negotiations and put the issue at the top of its political approach with us, that’s good news”, underlined the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borell before the start of the meeting in Brussels.
After the re-election at the end of May of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a third term, “it is time to carry out a strategic reflection” on cooperation “with a neighbor which is not easy, but remains a strategically important global player in our direct neighborhood”, underlined German Minister Annalena Baerbock.
Planned for a long time, this debate is of increased interest after the NATO summit last week in Vilnius, where Mr. Erdogan created the surprise by conditioning his green light to the integration of Sweden into the Alliance to the relaunch of talks on Turkey’s accession to the EU, which had stalled for several years.
He finally lifted his veto on Stockholm joining NATO, while warning that there would be no ratification before October at the earliest. In return, the Europeans paved the way for a warming of ties with Ankara.
Sweden has notably agreed to “actively support” efforts to revitalize the EU accession process, while contributing to the modernization of the customs union and the liberalization of visas, according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Two crucial issues in the eyes of Ankara: implemented since 1995, the Turkey-EU customs union agreement could be adapted to promote more trade, while a possible liberalization of visas would ease the entry conditions for Turkish nationals in the EU.
On the other hand, it is difficult to envisage short-term progress in the EU accession talks.
Admittedly, the status of candidate granted last year to Ukraine “has created a new dynamic in the neighborhood of the Union”, in particular for the Bakans, and “sooner or later Turkey will enter the game”, estimated Mr Borrell.
But the negotiations for the accession of Turkey, started in 2005, are deeply bogged down, to the point that the EU declared them in 2018 “at a standstill” due to a policy deemed contrary to the interests of the EU and a “continuous decline” of fundamental rights.
Relations were very tense after the failed putsch attempt in July 2016 and the repression affecting opponents and journalists that followed.
“The process remains at the bottom of the ice cube tray, because essential chapters of the discussions such as the rule of law and human rights have not been implemented and are far from being. (…) We must not be naive, there will be no gifts, “insisted Annalena Baerbock.
In the immediate future, increased cooperation, in particular the liberalization of visas demanded by Turkey, could be complicated by the persistent dispute over Cyprus.
Since the invasion of its northern third by Turkey in 1974 — started 49 years ago to the day — the island has been divided between the Republic of Cyprus — an EU member — which exercises its authority in the south, and the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in 1983 and only recognized by Ankara.
“For Cyprus, the future of EU-Turkey relations has a very specific past (…) We hope for a rapid resumption of substantial negotiations to resolve the Cyprus issue,” declared Cypriot Minister Constantinos Kombos, calling for ties with Ankara to be “proportionate and subject to conditions”.
Still, the geopolitical crises make Turkey an essential partner.
After the 2015 migration crisis, the EU countries had concluded an agreement with Ankara aimed at stemming the arrival of migrants to Europe, in return for a heavy financial counterpart – part of the 6 billion euros then promised must still be provided.
In addition, if Turkey is accused of circumventing Western sanctions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, it also played mediator last year to unblock Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea.
20/07/2023 11:20:16 – Bruxelles (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
