“The EU is unfair and biased towards our country,” says Turkey about the Commission’s report

For her unfair and biased approach European Commission against Ankara, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks in response in the European Commission’s report on Turkey.

“Although the 2023 report on Turkey is the Commission’s 25th report on Turkey, the unfair and biased approach of the EU towards our country it is worrying for the future of our continent, which faces many threats” notes the Turkish Foreign Ministry and responds separately to the EU’s objections per chapter.

Especially for the report’s references to Cyprus, the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish diplomacy accuses the EU of illegal, unrealistic and maximalist positions, while regarding the process of resolving the Cyprus problem, it maintains that the European Union has no say and the positions of her are worthless and non-binding for her Turkey.

Specifically, in the announcement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry it is noted: “The fact that the sections of the report on the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean and Cyprus, as usual, reflect the illegal, unrealistic and maximalist Greek Cypriot/Greek positions, the continuation of the exclusionary attitude which ignores the fair policies of our country and the ‘TRDB’ and treating the rights of the Turkish Cypriots as non-existentreveal once again the biased and unfair attitude of the EU (s.s. manifested) under the guise of solidarity. On this occasion, we would like to emphasize that the shape of the Cyprus resolution process is the two parties on the island, the three Guarantors and the United Nations Organization and that the role of the EU in the previous processess has not exceeded observer status by consent of the parties and that it has no say in any way. It should now be understood that the EU’s statements on a possible solution in Cyprus, which consist of the unconditional defense of the Greek Cypriot positions, have neither value nor binding force for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side and rather harm than serve the process resolution”.

Turkey also accuses the EU of being on the wrong side of history when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war, praises the EU’s criticism of it and stresses that universal values ​​and humanitarian principles should also apply to the Middle East: “We appreciate the criticism in the text that our country’s position on the Hamas-Israel war is completely incompatible with the EU. We feel the need to remind the EU, which is on the wrong side of history in the face of a massacre of civilians emerging from the darkness of the Middle Ages in the 21st century, that policies based on universal values, international law and humanitarian principles should apply not only to Ukraine or any other region of Europe, but to the entire world, including the Middle East.”

Regarding the political criteria and the inadequacy found in the report in Turkey’s response to them, Ankara notes: “We completely reject the report’s baseless claims and unfair criticisms, especially in the chapters on political criteria as well as the judicial system and fundamental rights. While chapters 23 on Justice and Fundamental Rights and 24 on Justice, Freedom and Security could not be opened since 2009 due to the political obstruction of a member state despite our efforts, making unfair claims against our country on many issues in the field of fundamental rights, which are controversial even among member states, is a manifestation of the EU’s disingenuous double standards approach”.