Turkey Cannot Become an EU Member; Alternative Forms of Cooperation Possible

As long as the Turkish government does not drastically change course, Turkey's EU accession process cannot be resumed. Ankara is expected to respect democratic values, the rule of law, and human rights. This is currently not the case.

Instead of talks about accession, the EU and Turkey are better off developing a closer cooperation framework. The EU delegation recommends finding ‘an alternative and realistic framework’ for the relations. They also call on the European Commission to explore possible new formats.

Nevertheless, Turkey remains an EU candidate country. The Members of the European Parliament also praise the Turks for their support against Russia in the Ukraine war. Ankara is also commended for hosting refugees from war zones in the region, such as Syria. This concerns about four million migrants.

The Members of the European Parliament are glad that the EU continues to provide funding to refugees and host communities in Turkey. Ankara is also an important partner to cooperate with in the fields of trade, migration, and security.

Dutch MEP Malik Azmani (Renew) wants to update the EU-Turkey Association Agreement, which dates back to 1963. ‘I am convinced that the EU would also benefit from this. We should no longer wait. The EU and Turkey must find a new format for cooperation.’