Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, voiced his concerns about Turkey’s recent elections and called for a new approach in relations between the European Union (EU) and Turkey in an interview on Thursday with Diego Cupolo of Turkey Recap, an independent newsletter on Turkish politics & foreign affairs.
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Amor criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements during his victory speech targeting the LGBT community, Turkey’s opposition and the EU.
The official translation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s victory speech, as published on the Turkish Presidency’s website, has been criticised for omitting or toning down the controversial and divisive language used by Erdoğan.
Amor highlighted the lack of progress in visa liberalisation, citing non-compliance with benchmark requirements related to data protection and anti-terror legislation. He emphasised that the Turkish government’s failure to meet these benchmarks was the reason behind the absence of visa liberalisation.
Whilst acknowledging Erdoğan’s victory in the presidential elections with a narrow margin, Amor expressed concerns about the state of democracy in Turkey. He referred to international observers’ characterisation of the elections as “free but not fair” and noted the curtailment of free speech, imprisonment of political opponents, and disregard for rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Amor stressed the necessity for a new format in EU-Turkey relations, as the current EU accession process had failed to strengthen democratic principles in the country. He hinted at the possibility of alternative approaches, suggesting an “umbrella of agreements” to handle various aspects such as migration, customs union modernisation, visa liberalisation, and foreign policy.
The rapporteur expressed doubts about President Erdoğan’s willingness to change domestic policies and suggested that the political will in Turkey leaned towards an authoritarian model of governance. Amor criticised the accession process for its inability to protect democratic values and emphasised that the fundamental requirement for accession is the political will to become a democracy.
Amor warned that Turkey could face infringement proceedings if it fails to implement the rulings of the ECtHR, particularly regarding the immediate release of Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş, imprisoned former co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP).
