Speaking to French broadcaster France 24 in an interview released on Monday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged the European Union to return to the “pre-Sarkozy” era for his country’s membership process.
Fidan noted that before French President Nicolas Sarkozy took office (in 2007), the EU had a strategic view of Türkiye, but after Sarkozy, relations between the bloc and Türkiye fell victim to “domestic policies” of the bloc’s members and identity politics.
“There are two tendencies in Europe now: should Europe be a geostrategic thinker, including Türkiye into the club and create its own center of gravity in its own region, thus becoming more resistant to international chaos, geopolitical risks or stay dependent on other actors for their security? If only Türkiye became a member of the EU in 2007 or 2008, when Türkiye was given that clear road map, EU reforms were underway, no other international actors were threatening Türkiye, a merit-based process was on track. But (the process) later became a discussion of identity politics. I think we have to change this and go back to the pre-Sarkozy setting. A merit-based membership path should be opened. Türkiye should unite with Europe to create a more effective force in the region,” Fidan said.
Türkiye has been a candidate for EU membership for over two decades, but talks stalled in 2016 over what Ankara says is the bloc’s “insistence on politicizing the issue.”
Türkiye suggests it has fulfilled most of the criteria for membership. Though the accession process stalled, the country has remained a key economic and defense partner for the 27-member bloc.
After the presidential and parliamentary elections concluded in May 2023, Brussels shifted its rhetoric from “the importance of cooperation with Türkiye” to “continuing relations on a strategic and forward-looking basis.”