The European Parliament has approved its annual report on Turkey with a strong majority, adopting the text by 381 votes in favour, 107 against and 171 abstentions. The report concludes that Turkey is moving further away from the principles, values and strategic interests of the European Union.
Drafted by Spanish Socialist MEP Nacho Sánchez Amor, the report states that Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, frozen since 2018, cannot be resumed under current circumstances. Lawmakers pointed to a lack of democratic progress, continued erosion of the rule of law and persistent human rights concerns.
For the first time, the Parliament also criticised the silence of other EU institutions and several member states regarding developments in Turkey, urging them to be more vocal about democratic backsliding and the deterioration of the rule of law.
Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean
The report dedicates significant attention to regional issues, particularly relations between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. While welcoming recent dialogue between Athens and Ankara, including the Mitsotakis-Erdogan summit earlier this year, lawmakers urged Turkey to adopt a more constructive approach in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Parliament condemned what it described as violations of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus, and renewed its call for Turkey to end the long-standing casus belli against Greece. It also criticised Ankara’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and objected to Turkish actions affecting energy and maritime projects in the region.
Security cooperation and foreign policy
The report acknowledges Turkey’s strategic importance to both the EU and NATO, highlighting its role in regions such as the Black Sea, Ukraine, the South Caucasus and the Middle East.
However, lawmakers expressed concern over Turkey’s declining alignment with EU foreign policy, which fell to a record low of 4 percent in 2025. The Parliament also voiced unease over Ankara’s growing engagement with BRICS+ and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, warning that full participation in such blocs would be incompatible with Turkey’s EU membership aspirations.
Presenting the report, Sánchez Amor argued that Turkey has shown an “absolute lack of willingness” to meet European democratic standards over the past decade. Nevertheless, he stressed that the EU should continue supporting Turkish civil society and those advocating for democracy and human rights.
