European Parliament on Turkiye-EU accession: Process cannot resume under the current circumstances

“Turkiye’s EU accession process cannot resume under the current circumstances,” the European Parliament’s (EP) said in its annual report for 2023. The EP also urged Turkiye and the EU institutions and member-states to “break the current deadlock” and seek a “realistic framework” for EU-Turkiye relations.

In matters of Greek interest, the European Parliament report noted that no significant progress has been made in protecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including the rights of the Greek Orthodox population of the islands of Imbros and Tenedos.

It called on the Turkish authorities to fully respect the historical and cultural character of cultural and religious monuments and symbols and in particular those designated as UNESCO world heritage sites, expressing particular concern over the recent developments regarding the Hagia Sophia monument and the  Archaeological Museum of Chora.

Reference was also made to the need to reopen the Halki Seminary, to the need to respect and recognize the Ecumenical Patriarchate, but also to protect minorities from hate speech and religious places from vandalism.

The European Parliament also reiterated its long-standing support for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation.