The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey, Nacho Sánchez Amor, made an important statement during a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 1 April. Amor emphasised that Turkey’s potential EU accession should not be based on military strength, but on democratic values. “If you are going to be a member of the EU, it’s about democracy,” he said, rejecting the idea that Turkey’s military might could speed up its accession.
Amor also pointed to the continued imprisonment of high-profile political figures such as Osman Kavala and Ekrem İmamoğlu, reinforcing the need for Turkey to align itself with European democratic principles. “EU membership is about democracy, not military power,” Amor added, underlining the urgency of reforms in Turkey.
In response to Turkey’s crackdown on opposition figures, European Union officials have taken firm action. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos cancelled her participation in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and did not meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister. Kos expressed concern that the arrests, particularly of opposition figures such as İmamoğlu, severely restrict fundamental freedoms and called for peaceful protests to be allowed without repression.
The European Parliament has also suspended upcoming joint meetings with Turkey, including one scheduled for April. Emmanouil Kefalogiannis, Chair of the European Parliament’s Turkey Delegation, noted that more than 150 mayors have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed officials in recent years, underscoring the EU’s growing concerns about Turkey’s democratic backsliding.
These developments mark a critical point in Turkey-EU relations, as the EU continues to stress that democratic reforms are essential for Turkey’s EU membership.
