Turkey says EU enlargement report reflects ‘unlawful and maximalist views of Greece’ on Cyprus
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has charged that the European Union’s annual progress report on its accession process “reflects the unrealistic, unlawful and maximalist views of Greece and the Greek Cypriot side” concerning Cyprus.
On Wednesday, the European Commission released the 2024 Enlargement Strategy and the country reports prepared for all candidate and potential candidate countries.
“We reject the unfair assessments by the EU in the 2024 Türkiye Report, particularly on the political criteria and internal political dynamics,” a statement from the ministry in Ankara said.
While it acknowledged that the report refers to the progress made by Turkey in macroeconomic policies, in aligning with the EU standards in many areas and in its role in the Eastern Mediterranean, “on the other hand, the report reflects the unrealistic, unlawful and maximalist views of Greece and the Greek Cypriot side, while completely disregarding the legitimate concerns and justified policies of both Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [sic],” it said, referring to the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus.
“The EU’s statements regarding the Cyprus issue, which unconditionally reflect Greek Cypriot positions and take no account of the inherent rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, do not contribute to settlement efforts, and prove why the EU’s participation in a settlement process is not a viable option, it said, adding that “the EU does not possess the authority or jurisdiction to determine the borders of third countries.”
The ministry called for a “fresh perspective” on Turkish-EU relations.
