On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to maintain its block on resuming EU accession talks with Turkey, citing democratic backsliding under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership. With 367 votes in favor, 74 against, and 188 abstentions, MEPs adopted a report rejecting negotiations, despite acknowledging Turkey’s strategic importance and the pro-European aspirations of many Turkish citizens.
The Parliament criticized Turkey’s violations of Greece and Cyprus’ sovereignty through its “Blue Homeland” doctrine in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, urging Ankara to show genuine commitment to Cyprus settlement talks.
Spanish MEP Nacho Sanchez Amor, the report’s rapporteur, remarked: “Turkey claims a commitment to EU membership for security and geopolitical reasons, but EU membership hinges on democracy. The authoritarian path, exemplified by Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest, only distances Turkey from the EU.”