Turkey says EU’s enlargement report “biased”, “lacks strategy”
Turkey’s foreign ministry on Wednesday lashed out at a new Eu report on Turkey, saying the report lacked vision and was biased.
"The European Commission's 2022 report on Turkey once again reveals the EU's stance towards our country, which is far from its strategic point of view and lacks vision," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In an enlargement report published earlier on Wednesday, the European Commission said there are serious deficiencies in the functioning of Turkey’s democratic institutions as well as structural deficiencies in the presidential system.
Tensions in the East Meditterranean
The ministry accused the EU’s report of "reflecting the Greek and Greek Cypriots' illegal and maximalist views" on the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea as well as the Cyprus issue.
"The EU is not an international judicial body which decides on maritime jurisdiction areas," the statement by the ministry said.
Turkey and Greece, both NATO allies, have long been at odds over a string of issues, including the status of the Aegean islands
Turkey accuses Greece for militarizing its islands and building American bases in violation of international treaties. In return Greece accuses Turkey of violating its airspace and not respecting its sovereign rights in The Aegean Sea.
Sanctions on Russia
Turkey also disclaimed the criticism involving sanctions on Russia.
“It is also strange that our country is criticized in the report for not participating in the sanctions imposed by the EU within the framework of the Russia-Ukraine war, although it does not have any obligations. We emphasize once again that the grain export from Ukraine and the prisoner exchange between the warring parties can only be realized thanks to Turkey's principled approach,” the statement said.
Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987, and its accession talks began in 2005 before effectively coming to a standstill in 2018. No further chapters could be considered for opening or closing since then.
