Türkiye has slammed an annual report from the European Commission (EC) on its long-stalled membership bid as “unjust and biased.”
The report by the European Union's executive arm on Wednesday accused Türkiye of "serious backsliding" on democratic standards, the rule of law, human rights and judicial independence.
"We categorically reject unfounded claims and unjust criticisms, particularly on the political criteria and the Chapter on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Commission also claimed Türkiye did not comply with the principles of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms in its fight against terrorism.
The Turkish ministry said the allegations were unfair and highlighted "the insincerity of the EU's approach and a clear double standard," adding that fundamental rights issues were contentious even among EU member states.
It argued the bloc was acting “in contradiction” by blocking existing high-level dialogue on foreign policy, security and other issues while claiming a decrease in Türkiye’s alignment rate on said areas.
“The report’s claim that Türkiye ‘failed to meet its obligations under the Customs Union, which is an obstacle to bilateral trade relations’ is also misleading since it’s the EU's politicization of the negotiations aimed at updating the Customs Union that is the main obstacle in this regard,” the ministry added.
The Commission's report is meant to update Türkiye's progress toward meeting standards for EU membership and could strain ties that are already troubled over immigration and, more recently, Israel’s war on the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza.
It’s the EU who is on the wrong side of history regarding the massacre of Palestinians, the ministry said and called on the members to “remember universal values, international law and humanitarian principles.”
Türkiye's bid to join the EU has been frozen for years after having launched membership talks in 2005 which fell apart when European leaders couldn't overcome their issue with Ankara over the divided island of Cyprus.
Today, ties are more transactional than a path toward partnership, even if neither side will openly admit this.
Ankara accuses the bloc of “hindering” its accession due to “geopolitical reasons.”
During President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule, Türkiye took significant steps to fulfill the criteria for membership of the 27-member bloc, while heightening bilateral relations with EU states.
Yet, ties deteriorated due to the EU's continuing tolerance of terrorist groups, particularly the PKK, which the bloc has outlawed.
Differing views on other issues further eroded trust between the two sides, although Türkiye and the EU remain major trade partners.
For many EU member states, the long-stalled accession talks are dead in all but name. In September, Austria, long opposed to Türkiye's membership, even called for the process to end.
EU officials privately say this would be more honest, but no one wants to make the first move.
After the Turkish elections in May, EU leaders revived hopes for improvement. They ordered the EU's executive arm and its foreign policy chief to prepare a report on how to develop the relationship.
The report is due before December's next summit gathering of EU leaders, but experts and EU officials warn against expecting any real improvement in ties.
It was Erdoğan, again, proposing a revival of ties as he attended a NATO summit in Vilnius last summer.
The EU welcomed Erdoğan’s proposal, but a scathing report by the European Parliament critical of Türkiye angered Ankara, and Erdoğan has stated that they might reconsider the accession bid.
The Turkish ambassador to the EU reaffirmed commitment to accession, but acknowledged it would not be easy.
"The Turkish government is committed to EU membership," said Faruk Kaymakçı. "What we expect is equal treatment among candidate countries."
