EU Enlargement tracks accession policy and negotiations with candidate and potential candidate countries. Coverage includes screening of the acquis, rule-of-law and economic reforms, institutional and budget implications for the Union, IPA III funding, timelines and milestones, and relations with the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership and neighbouring states.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed calls for the European Union to restart accession talks with Turkey, asserting that the bloc would benefit from admitting what he described as a “dynamic and solution-oriented” member.
Speaking on Monday, Erdogan said that the EU “should not wait even a day” to revive and advance negotiations on Turkey’s membership. His comments were carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency.
“We expect them [EU leaders] to realise that it is impossible to move forward in relations with such an ambiguous position as we have seen so many times before,” Erdogan said. “Considering the developments in Europe and its surroundings, as well as disagreements within the EU itself, it will become clear that the Union needs a member like Turkey – dynamic and focused on solving problems.”
He added: “As Turkey, we are ready for full membership.”
Erdogan also urged the EU to shed what he called “outdated and dogmatic political views,” suggesting that doing so could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Union’s history. He did not specify which policies or positions he considered to be outdated.
Turkey’s EU accession process has been effectively frozen since 2018. Talks formally began in 2005 after Turkey gained candidate status in 1999, having first applied for membership in 1987 to the then-European Economic Community. However, negotiations have faced repeated delays and stagnation due to ongoing concerns over democratic backsliding, the state of human rights, the independence of the judiciary, and Turkey’s foreign policy stance – particularly in relation to Cyprus, a member state of the EU.
The unresolved status of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Ankara, remains a longstanding point of contention. Turkey has also had strained bilateral relations with several EU member states over the past decade, including France, Austria, and Greece.
While Turkey remains a formal candidate country, the European Commission has not advanced the accession file in recent years, citing the erosion of the rule of law and democratic standards under Erdogan’s leadership. Ankara has rejected such criticisms, maintaining that it is being held to different standards than other candidates.
Erdogan’s latest remarks appear to be aimed at both Brussels and domestic audiences, signalling that Turkey still views EU membership as a strategic goal, even as political realities suggest little appetite within the bloc for enlargement in Turkey’s direction.
His comments come amid growing geopolitical tension in Europe, with NATO urging closer cooperation between the EU and Turkey. According to several media reports, the military alliance has encouraged both sides to improve their relationship, especially in light of US President Donald Trump’s increasingly transactional approach to alliance commitments and his repeated threats to withdraw or reduce security guarantees for European states.
In that context, some voices in Europe have expressed renewed interest in Turkey’s strategic role. Recently, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that he would welcome Turkey’s accession to the European Union, describing the country as a “vital regional partner.”
However, the broader mood within the EU institutions remains cautious. The European Parliament has repeatedly criticised Turkey’s internal political developments, while the European Council has not indicated any plans to reopen accession chapters or unfreeze the talks.
The European Commission’s most recent progress report on Turkey, published in October 2024, noted serious backsliding in key areas such as freedom of expression, judicial independence, and civil society freedoms. It concluded that the country’s EU accession process remained at a standstill.
Despite the current deadlock, Turkey continues to participate in several EU frameworks, including the customs union and migration cooperation agreements. In particular, the 2016 EU–Turkey deal on managing migration flows has been credited with significantly reducing irregular crossings into Greece, though it has also drawn criticism from human rights groups.
In his address on Monday, Erdogan did not refer directly to these existing agreements but framed Turkey’s accession as a potential catalyst for broader institutional reform within the EU.
Analysts note that Erdogan’s statement may also be linked to wider regional developments, including instability in the Middle East, Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, and growing calls for the EU to redefine its enlargement policy.
Nevertheless, the pathway to Turkish accession remains fraught. The EU’s enlargement strategy, updated in 2023, does not prioritise Turkey among its key candidates, with the Western Balkans and Ukraine occupying the political foreground.
