UPDATE - Turkish Foreign Ministry rejects European Parliament’s 2022 report on Türkiye

ADDS REMARKS FROM JUSTICE MINISTER

By Seda Sevencan and Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish Foreign Ministry slammed the European Parliament’s 2022 report on Türkiye on Wednesday.

The move came after the report was adopted earlier in the day at a plenary session.

“This report, filled with unjust accusations and prejudices based on the disinformation of anti- Türkiye circles, is a reflection of the European Parliament's usual shallow and non-visionary approach, both in its relations with our country and the future of the EU," the ministry said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, this report also demonstrates how captive members of the EP are to the daily populist politics and how far they are from developing the right strategic approach towards both the EU and our region.”

Türkiye considers it unreasonable for the EU to bring up different approaches instead of the accession negotiations at this critical time for the stability and security of the continent, when a window of opportunity has opened for the revitalization of Türkiye-EU relations, it noted.

In addition, the claims in the report regarding the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus issues, which reflect the one-sided views of some groups and are disconnected from historical and legal realities, hold no validity for Türkiye, it added.

Türkiye has the potential to make the EU a global power in the face of all current challenges such as security, energy, climate change and economic difficulties, it said.

"Recognizing this truth is possible with a visionary perspective that does not surrender to the daily interests of some circles.”

“We hope that the new Parliament that will form after the 2024 EP elections will act with a neutral, rational, and constructive perspective,” it added.

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said in a post on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, that the report ignores the current efforts for reform in Türkiye as well as recent developments in human rights and the rule of law.

Tunc said the report is "far from being objective," is not based on data, and is "unfair, unfounded and full of delusions.”

"This report does not contribute to the positive agenda between Türkiye and the European Union," he added.