Søren Søndergaard, a member of the Danish parliament for socialist Red-Green Enhedslisten and the party’s spokesman for EU affairs*, underscored the Kurdish issue as a prerequisite for Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership, in an interview with Mezopotamya Agency on Tuesday.
Søndergaard’s comments come amidst ongoing debates over Turkey’s potential entry into the EU, which intensified recently amidst Turkey’s pivotal role during Sweden’s accession process to NATO.
“Turkey’s EU membership hinges on the country’s acceptance of democratic norms, including the right to organise, freedom of expression, and the ability for political party leaders to operate without fear of arrest,” Søndergaard stated. He criticised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s attempts to negotiate Sweden’s NATO membership in exchange for Turkey’s EU membership, arguing that Erdoğan was attempting to leverage his position.
Søndergaard refuted Turkey’s claim that EU membership is contingent upon NATO membership, pointing out that several NATO members, such as Norway, are not part of the EU. He also questioned Turkey’s commitment to EU membership, given its recent withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, a significant treaty highly valued by the EU.
“Turkey’s current state of affairs, marked by pressures on basic rights and freedoms, makes its EU membership an impossibility without significant changes and transformations,” Søndergaard explained. He suggested that the first step towards EU integration would be ensuring a peaceful resolution with the Kurds and other minorities.
The spokesman also criticised the EU’s lack of engagement with the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). “The EU’s stance on Turkey’s refusal to comply with the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) decision regarding Öcalan’s aggravated life sentence is disappointing,” he added.
Søndergaard concluded by stating that Turkey’s current situation is insufficient for EU membership. “Turkey is at a deadlock, and no real change can be expected without taking a significant step,” he warned. He also criticised Turkey’s decision to prevent him from entering the country to observe the general elections held on 14 May, attributing the prevention to his previous presence in Rojava and subsequent accusations of “supporting terrorism”.
* Søren Søndergaard is a member of the Danish parliament for socialist Red-Green Enhedslisten and is the party’s spokesman for EU affairs, culture and media. He is also the chairman of the delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and a member of the Council of Europe delegation.
