Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (KPK) Co-Chairman and AK Party Istanbul Deputy İsmail Emrah Karayel, in his speech at the 82nd Meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission held in a hotel, explained that the KPK meetings constitute an important basis for strengthening mutual understanding, keeping political dialogue alive and shaping the future of relations with a common perspective.
Stating that the EU has shown a positive approach towards the development of relations with Turkey since the last KPK meeting, Karayel expressed that they, as parliamentarians, have important responsibilities in this process, and that he believes that today's meeting will make concrete contributions to the advancement of relations.
Karayel emphasized that the NATO Ankara Summit once again demonstrated the unshakable role of Türkiye, which has the second largest army in NATO, in the security of the Euro-Atlantic geography.
Stating that Türkiye contributes to the security and defense of Europe from the north to the south, Karayel said, "Our strong defense industry, advanced facilities and capabilities also reinforce our country's 'net security provider' role." he said.
Stating that Türkiye can meet the needs of many EU member countries with its high-tech defense industry products, domestic production capacity and fast supply advantage, Karayel said, "In this context, the inclusion of our country, which is a candidate country, in the EU's security and defense initiatives, projects and programs such as the 'SAFE Mechanism', is, first of all, strengthening the security of the EU. In a period when the security architecture of Europe is being reshaped, a country like Turkey, which is of critical importance for the security of Europe, should not be excluded." he said.
Stating that the Russia-Ukraine War, which had an impact on Europe's security architecture and regional balances, was an important test for Turkey in terms of the security of the Black Sea, regional stability and geopolitical balances in the immediate surroundings, Karayel explained that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was implemented with Türkiye's initiatives, made significant contributions to global food security.
Emphasizing that approximately 33 million tons of grain and food products were delivered to world markets through Ukrainian ports within the scope of the initiative, Karayel said, "The grain corridor application ended with Russia's withdrawal from the initiative in July 2023. Turkey continues its contacts with the relevant parties and is trying to create the conditions for a new regulation similar to the previous initiative." he said.
Referring to the process of terrorism-free Türkiye and describing the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration as a "historical milestone", Karayel said that Türkiye wants to strengthen its cooperation with the EU in the field of combating terrorism. Karayel said:
"We deeply regret that PKK and FETO continue their presence and activities in the EU and its member states, and use the EU as a base. We expect you to disregard PKK's demands to be removed from the 'EU Terrorist Organizations List' by misusing the termination narrative. I hope that, through our upcoming intensive contacts, we will increase our cooperation in the fight against terrorism and together we will achieve the concrete results we desire against this evil."
Stating that the ongoing genocide in Palestine continues to be the common shame of humanity, Karayel underlined that Israel's genocide in Gaza, its occupation policy in the West Bank and its steps to change the status of the occupied Palestinian lands contradict the UN Security Council resolutions and international law.
Stating that the illegal and unilateral actions implemented by Israel deliberately weaken international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace on the basis of a two-state solution, Karayel said, "In this context, it is of great importance that the international community does not remain silent in the face of the genocide in Gaza and takes concrete steps to end the human tragedy. Because remaining silent in the face of such a heavy humanitarian tragedy will be remembered as a source of shame in the coming years." made his statements.
Karayel stated that Türkiye is closely following the war between the USA, Israel and Iran, and that it continues to carry out an intense and multi-dimensional diplomacy to resolve the conflict in question through dialogue.
Expressing his satisfaction with the resumption of indirect negotiations between the USA and Iran, Karayel said, "We support the restoration of freedom of navigation by returning the passages through the Strait of Hormuz to the pre-war situation." he said.
Karayel noted that in the current conditions, where international uncertainties and security risks increase, acting together in line with the future of Europe and common interests, opening new chapters, updating the Customs Union and providing visa liberalization to Türkiye are more important than ever.
Manolis Kefalogiannis, Co-Chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, reminded that they last met in Strasbourg in November 2024 within the scope of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, and mentioned that they should hold these meetings consistently.
Stating that these meetings are not optional and constitute a necessity, Kefalogiannis said, "These constitute the parliamentary dimension of the accession process." he said.
Kefalogiannis expressed that they hope for a productive exchange of views during the meeting.
