Official Ankara critical of European Commission 2023 Report on  Turkiye

ArmInfo.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey issued the following statement in response  to the European Commission 2023 Report on Turkiye

"Today, the European Commission published the 2023 Enlargement  Strategy and the Country Reports drafted for all candidate and  potential candidate countries, including Turkiye. It is worrisome for  the future of our continent, which faces many threats, that the EU  yet again maintains its unjust and biased approach to our country,  despite this being the 25th Report of the Commission on Turkiye.

"We categorically reject unfounded claims and unjust criticisms,  particularly on the political criteria and the Chapter on Judiciary  and Fundamental Rights. Despite our continuous efforts, Chapters 23  (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom, and  Security) remain unopened due to political obstruction by a single  member since 2009. The unfair allegations against Turkiye on various  fundamental rights issues - issues which are contentious even among  Member States - highlights the insincerity of this approach and a  clear double-standard.

"Blocking the existing high-level dialogue and cooperation mechanisms  on foreign policy, regional developments, security, defense, and  sectoral issues with candidate country Turkiye, and at the same time,  claiming a decrease in Turkiye's alignment rate on such critical  policy areas. This is nothing less than a contradiction.

"It is also claimed that Turkiye failed to meet its obligations under  the Customs Union, and that this constitutes an obstacle to bilateral  trade relations. This allegation is misleading, as the EU's  politicization of the negotiations aimed at updating the Customs  Union is the main obstacle in this regard.

"We in fact take it as praise attempts by the EU to criticize  Turkiye's principled stance regarding the Hamas-Israel War. The EU is  on the wrong side of the history in the face of a massacre that is  reminiscent of the darkness of medieval times. The EU must remember  that policies based on universal values, international law, and  humanitarian principles cannot be limited to Ukraine or other regions  of Europe but must be pursued universally, including the Middle East.

"As usual, the segments of the Report addressing the Eastern  Mediterranean, Aegean, and Cyprus issues reflect the unlawful,  unrealistic, and maximalist views of the Greek/Greek Cypriot duo and  the exclusionary attitude ignoring the rightful policies of Turkiye  and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Again, this clearly  reveals the EU's biased and unfair attitude under the disguise of  solidarity. We avail of this opportunity to emphasize that the format  for the settlement of the Cyprus issue includes only the two sides on  the Island, three Guarantors, and the United Nations. The EU acted as  an observer with the parties' consent in the past and therefore has  no right to get involved in the matter. The EU's statements, which  unconditionally defend the Greek Cypriot arguments on a possible  settlement, are neither valuable nor binding for Turkiye and the  Turkish Cypriot side. Indeed, these statements only disrupt the  settlement process rather than contribute to it.

"As a reflection of the committed policies Turkiye pursues, the  Report emphasizes the advanced level of development of Turkiye's  economy and its capacity to cope with competitive pressures and  market forces within the Union, and also makes reference to the fact  that Turkiye has aligned with the EU standards in many areas by  harmonizing its legislation with the EU acquis since the Customs  Union came into force.

"Within the current international conjuncture, the EU must pursue an  enlargement policy based on fairness and inclusion. The EU  acknowledges that the need for strengthening Turkiye-EU relations in  every area is now more critical than ever before. Turkiye remains  eager to develop more robust relations with the EU and enhance  cooperation in line with our shared interests as long as the EU  engages in a spirit of cooperation and dialogue, refraining from  unilateral and unjust criticism. Turkiye's candidacy should not be  confined to rhetoric; our status should be reflected in the EU's  actions, discourse, and steps.

"The solidarity displayed by the EU during the difficult times we  experienced in the aftermath of the earthquake on 6 February 2023 is  valued and respected. Based on that same spirit of solidarity and  cooperation, we call on the EU to remove the obstacles before  Turkiye's accession process, assume more responsibility, and comply  with the principle of pacta sunt servanda."