The tension in Türkiye's relations with the European Union and its institutions has witnessed a new chapter centered on the continued Turkish military presence in northern Cyprus since 1974.
In the latest chapter of tension, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the European Parliament presented a proposal to allocate funding within the European Union budget for the year 2027 to build a memorial in Nicosia in memory of “Greek Cypriot” women who were allegedly subjected to physical violence by Turkish soldiers during the intervention in northern Cyprus in 1974.
Turkish warning
Türkiye called on the institutions of the “European Union” not to be led by allegations promoted by Cyprus, which are considered a distortion and politicization of historical facts, put forward by the “Roman side” (the Republic of Cyprus).
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, in a statement, that “Turkish forces prevented the extermination of the Turkish Cypriots,” through what it called “the peace process (military intervention in northern Cyprus in 1974),” and “established peace on the entire island that has been continuing for more than half a century.”
She considered that the “European Union” institutions being led by “the propaganda of the Greek side in Cyprus, and their deviation from neutrality and justice, instead of contributing to resolving the Cyprus issue, would deepen the lack of trust between the Turkish and Greek communities” on the divided island.
The statement called on European Union officials "not to become a tool in the hands of parties that aim, with every step they take, to distance Türkiye from the European bloc."
Strict European positions
This came after the European Parliament approved, on July 8, the decision to consider Turkey’s intervention in northern Cyprus in 1974 an “invasion,” accusing its army of “committing atrocities against the Greek Cypriots.” In mid-July, the European Union issued a “Document of Joint Understanding” that opened a new chapter of tension with Türkiye for ignoring its status as a candidate country for accession.
The European Union recognized Turkey as a candidate country for membership in 1999, decades after it requested membership, and began its negotiations with it in 2004, and opened 12 chapters out of 35 chapters that include standards that Turkey must adhere to and implement in order to be eligible to join. However, the negotiations have been completely frozen since 2016, following an attack by Erdogan on the “Union” for not supporting his country in the face of a failed coup attempt against his rule that took place in July 15 of that year.
The sharp statements, on many occasions, especially during the periods when Türkiye witnessed parliamentary and presidential elections, caused intransigence on the part of the “Union” in resuming negotiations. Under the pretext of “Türkiye’s departure from the standards of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and freedom of expression; Due to the expansion of arrests of politicians and journalists opposed to Erdogan.”
Turkey said, “(The document) made unfounded allegations about the Eastern Mediterranean, and indicates that (the European Union) is still a prisoner of a biased and distorted understanding of events,” and described it as lacking “objectivity and fairness,” and that it “demonstrates, once again, the lack of a strategic vision for the (European Union) toward a common future, especially since it was drafted days after the (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8.” (The past), which emphasized the indispensable role of Turkey in the security of Europe.
Efforts to relieve stress
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Erdogan met with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, to discuss relations between Turkey and Europe.
This was preceded by Ankara hosting, on June 30, a high-level delegation from the European Union, which included: the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Callas, the Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, and the Home Affairs Commissioner, Magnus Brunner, on a rare visit, following the European Parliament’s approval of a report prepared by the Special Rapporteur for Turkey, Spanish MP Nacho Amor Sanchez, who confirmed that “no Negotiations with Turkey can be resumed due to what I attribute to the “serious and continuing erosion” of the rule of law with restrictions on the opposition, as well as the crises in which Turkey is involved with member states of the European Union, such as Greece and Cyprus.
The delegation held talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and a number of ministry officials. In a joint statement, the two sides stressed the strategic importance of Turkish-European relations to achieve regional and economic stability, and stressed “the necessity of working together in confronting geopolitical challenges, and the importance of cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, transportation, and digitalization in the context of the regional connectivity agenda,” but the European delegation refrained from indicating the possibility of resuming Türkiye’s accession negotiations.
But the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, in a statement, that membership in the European Union remains a “strategic goal” for Turkey, and that it is ready to develop relations with the Union on this basis.
The day after the issuance of the “European Union Document of Common Understanding,” Erdogan strongly criticized the European Union, saying that it “does not seem willing to accept Turkey as a member,” and that its membership is no longer a priority for it, accusing European leaders of “lack of political will to accept Türkiye’s membership.” He promised that Europe “will be the biggest loser in the end if accession efforts continue to falter.”
