Türkiye and European Union will likely give another shot at the former’s full membership to the continental body in the coming months as a summer recess in EU bodies end. For Türkiye’s top diplomat, this is a window of opportunity for the EU.
Speaking at a news conference in the capital Ankara with his Bulgarian counterpart, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that their membership offered “new opportunities both for EU and Türkiye’s region.”
“I recommend EU leaders to use this window,” Fidan said. He highlighted that Türkiye’s membership would reinforce the EU’s position as a global actor but it was apparent that most EU member states did not view it that way or “preferred not to.”
Türkiye has the most extended history with the union and the most prolonged negotiation process. The country signed an association agreement with the EU's predecessor in 1964, the European Economic Community (EEC), which is usually regarded as a first step to eventually becoming a candidate. Applying for official candidacy in 1987, Türkiye had to wait until 1999 to be granted the status of a candidate country.
For the start of the negotiations, however, Türkiye had to wait for another six years, until 2005, a uniquely long process compared with other candidates.
The accession talks have nine different chapters, some complementary to each other, including high-level dialogue meetings, updates to the customs union, visa liberalization, counterterrorism efforts, security and defense, financial cooperation and communications.
Recently, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated it was “strategic blindness” to hinder Türkiye’s EU membership process. “It is essential to have a visionary view of Turkish-EU relations in the new era and revive the process with the perspective of full membership,” Fidan told Turkish ambassadors at a meeting in the capital Ankara.
This “blindness” cost Türkiye over five decades, as the process adhered to a course based on “need” for each other, rather than joint strategic goals and trust for each other for both parties has long been low.
Though Türkiye has been vocal about its ambition to join the bloc, it apparently capitalizes on a new wave of expanding alliances sped up amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Indeed, Ukraine and Moldova are considered for membership without fulfilling the necessary criteria, while Türkiye has been far ahead of them in this task.
Ahead of the NATO summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan openly said that the EU should pave the way for Türkiye just as Türkiye may pave the way for Sweden’s membership to NATO amid security concerns in the conflict's wake.
Before Erdoğan’s statements, Brussels had already expressed a desire for a renewed process, after the former was reelected for a five-year tenure in the May 28 runoff. Before the work was paused for a summer recess in EU bodies, senior officials had stated that they were open for a debate on Cyprus negotiations, an issue thwarting the process.
Türkiye is a staunch ally of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which is not recognized by the EU despite the bloc including the Greek Cypriot side of the divided island as a member. At a meeting before the summer recess in June, EU officials announced that the European Commission would draft a report on the status of Türkiye-EU relations.
The progress on the issue was apparently encouraged by Erdoğan’s talks with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently. Michel said after the talks that they discussed opportunities to revive the relations. Von der Leyen has reiterated the same willingness to boost relations.
On July 20, EU foreign ministers convened for the first time with Türkiye on their agenda since 2021 as a positive sign of changing relations.
Türkiye anticipates concrete results from the dragged-out process, especially for an update on the customs union and visa liberalization. It is hoping for a new visionary approach to the ties with a focus on Türkiye’s full membership to the continental body. The EU, for its part, expressed willingness to strengthen ties while several members already enjoy warm relations with Türkiye. The EU seeks to iron out differences on several issues and progress in political aspects of the “Copenhagen criteria” Türkiye must fulfill for membership.
For her part, Bulgaria’s Mariya Gabriel said her country, as a member of the EU, supported Türkiye’s membership. She said they would work with her Turkish counterpart for support to the membership and the process should be “more visible.”
