Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This is the first report in this legislature on the progress of Türkiye as a candidate country to the EU. Due to the fact that 2024 was an EU election year, this resolution encompasses Parliament’s response to the Commission’s enlargement reports of both 2023 and 2024.

The report evaluates the state of play and latest developments with regard to Türkiye’s accession progress and also the broader relations between the EU and the country. Accession negotiations with Türkiye have remained at a standstill since 2018, in line with the European Council Conclusions. The report argues that, despite Turkish Government’s recent statements on its commitment to the EU membership, the gap between Türkiye and the EU’s values and normative framework -which are at the core of the accession process- has remained unaddressed during the last period with persisting laws and measures aimed at curtailing the rule of law and fundamental rights. The report calls on the Turkish authorities to put an end to those current serious restrictions and the constant attacks on the rights of members of the opposition, human rights defenders, lawyers, trade unionists, members of minorities, journalists, academics and civil society activists, among others.

As a conclusion, the report reiterates that Türkiye’s EU accession process cannot be resumed in the current circumstances and urges the Turkish Government and the European Union’s institutions and Member States to keep working, beyond the currently frozen accession process, towards a closer, more dynamic and strategic partnership.