European Parliament: Turkey's EU accession process should be frozen
Turkey's geopolitical and strategic importance cannot compensate for its violation of the EU membership criteria, in particular the importance of upholding democratic standards. Therefore, the country's accession process to the EU should be frozen, the European Parliament reports .
Members of the European Parliament adopted a report on the situation with Turkey's European integration.
"Under the current circumstances, despite the democratic and pro-European aspirations of a significant part of Turkish society, the process of Turkey's accession to the EU cannot be resumed," the document states.
MEPs are deeply concerned about the "continuous deterioration of democratic standards in Turkey and the relentless suppression of critical voices."
They condemned the harsh repression of recent peaceful mass protests and the prosecution of hundreds of protesters through "hasty mass trials without any evidence of criminal wrongdoing."
MEPs also consider the attacks on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to be a politically motivated move aimed at preventing a legitimate candidate from running in the upcoming elections.
"With these actions, the current Turkish authorities are further pushing the country towards a completely authoritarian model," the MEPs noted.
At the same time, MEPs recognized Turkey's strategic and geopolitical importance, as well as its influence in areas critical to international security, such as the Black Sea region, Ukraine, and the Middle East.
They called on Turkey to maintain constructive dialogue and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual strategic interest.
- On March 19, 2025, Turkish prosecutors detained the mayor of Istanbul, an opponent of Erdogan, on suspicion of corruption and supporting terrorism. After that, Turkey was shaken by large-scale protests – thousands of people took to the streets.
- On April 30, a Turkish court found Swedish journalist Kai Joakim Medina guilty of insulting Erdogan. The journalist was sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended. Another trial is ahead on charges of ties to "terrorists."