UPDATE - Türkiye's EU bid too important to be left to 'narrow' agendas of some countries: Foreign minister

ADDS REMARKS FROM HAKAN FIDAN

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye's EU accession process is too important to be left to the limited "political agendas of some countries," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday.

"I reiterated that Türkiye's EU membership process is too important to be left to the narrow political agendas of some countries," said Fidan in a joint news conference with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares.

His remarks came after a meeting held by the two ministers in Ankara.

Fidan said Spain from the beginning has been among the countries that sincerely support Türkiye’s EU membership process, emphasizing that EU membership remains a strategic objective for Ankara.

Concerning Gaza, which is currently under Israeli siege, the Turkish minister said, "Spain is one of the countries within the EU, that has taken a principled stance on Gaza from the very beginning and stands by the Palestinian people. Spain's commendable stance also demonstrate that the Palestinian issue is universal cause, transcending religious and ethnic identities."

He stated that Türkiye and Spain are two important countries in the Mediterranean Basin, which is faced with challenges such as conflicts, terrorism, climate change, and irregular migration, and their surroundings.

”Türkiye and Spain, located at the eastern and western ends of the Mediterranean, feel these crises closely. As two countries that have been combating terrorism for years, we attach special importance to enhancing our security cooperation,” he added.

Fidan also said that 8th Türkiye-Spain Inter-Governmental Summit will be held in June.

Fidan stated that during the meeting with Spanish foreign minister, they thoroughly examined the steps that could be taken in the field of security and also revisited the strong collaboration within NATO framework.

“As a reflection of this, Spain has been deploying a Patriot battery in Adana since 2015. This behavior, in line with the spirit of alliance, is gratifying. Additionally, as two allies, we aim to further advance our defense industry cooperation with concrete projects,” he added. ​​​​​​​

Türkiye – EU relations

Türkiye hoped the advancement of relations between Ankara and the EU institutions with a more “positive agenda, independent of the results of the European Parliament elections”, Fidan added.

"The EU, as a higher entity separate from European countries, has a distinct legal personality. While we develop direct relationships with European countries, we have a different institutional relationship with the EU,” he said.

Fidan noted that relationships developed with many European countries could be easier, while emphasizing that when developing relations with the EU, decisions that require unanimity within the EU need to be considered.

Pointing out that this situation could often work against Türkiye, Fidan highlighted that with the re-election of Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2023, Ankara’s perspective on EU membership had not changed, reiterating that its strategic intentions and vision remained the same.

Fidan indicated that the key countries within the EU were where Türkiye awaited a declaration of will, stating that these countries needed to express their will.

Telling that there is a process for EU accession, Fidan underlined the necessity of political will being demonstrated beforehand.

"Later on, we witnessed that this political will eroded and gradually disappeared, and a completely different political mindset and climate prevailed within the EU regarding Türkiye,” he said.

Fidan stated that among the areas that need to be progressed for the benefit of both sides in relations with the EU are the updating of the customs union, visa issues, various trade privileges, and tackling migration.

He underlined that these are issues that require intensive work with the EU, yet even in these areas, serious efforts have not always been made as desired.

Fidan pointed out that in recent years, especially with events emerging in the region, the security perspective of Türkiye-EU and NATO relations has become even more prominent.

He said that there are serious security-related issues that need to be discussed between Türkiye and the EU, both bilaterally and within NATO.

Highlighting the “insufficient discussion” on what both sides can do, particularly regarding regional and global security, Fidan underlined the need to initiate this conversation.

He noted that due to the inability to have a healthy discussion, both sides fail to see the significant benefits that could arise, and they are often unaware of the extent of the gaps and risks it exposes.

Fidan expressed his belief that both sides need to initiate a high-quality, geostrategic security cooperation discussion, both within NATO and outside of it.

- Discussions on humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Palestine

Fidan underlined that they had the opportunity to thoroughly evaluate the regional and international security implications of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza with his Spanish counterpart, stressing the need for an "immediate ceasefire."

He said that humanitarian aid must be delivered immediately and uninterrupted, reiterating their belief that lasting peace in the region can only be achieved on the basis of a two-state solution.

Fidan highlighted that global public opinion has been urging Israel to end the war in Gaza, yet the Israeli government continues to kill innocent Palestinians and condemn more than two million people to hunger.

”We are certain of one thing: the members of the Israeli government will be held accountable for the crimes they have committed in front of justice sooner or later,” he said.

He added that this “racist mindset, which violates international law and human conscience, will be crushed under the feet of the whole world."

Fidan stated that Ankara continues to exert both unilateral and multilateral pressure for all possible measures to create pressure on Israel on all international platforms it is a member of.

”This is not only about preventing the tragedy there, but it is also about preventing larger global crises and regional wars. One would have to be extremely narrow-minded not to see this. The whole of humanity, the relevant public opinion, really needs to see what kind of disasters the Gaza crisis and the humanitarian tragedy there are heralding,” he added.

Fidan expressed full support for Spain's steps and proposals both as a state and within the EU, stating that they are completely behind them.

He said that organizing a peace conference, recognizing the state of Palestine, and emerging security guarantees are indeed very important alternative proposals that have come up in the path towards a solution.

”Our aim is for this problem to be permanently and fairly resolved. Whatever steps need to be taken, whether sanctions, pressure, acting through international alliances, or resorting to international law, we will utilize all methods to stop this injustice and resolve this issue permanently. That is our goal,” he added.

- Discussions on Russia-Ukraine war

During the meeting, the two ministers also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war which has entered its third year, said Hakan Fidan.

He reiterated Türkiye’s “strong support” for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, stressing the expectation for a fair and lasting peace to be achieved as soon as possible.

”We will continue to work with a vision to develop joint initiatives with Spain that will make a difference in global issues. Drawing strength from the cultural heritage of Anatolia and the Iberian Peninsula, we initiated the Alliance of Civilizations in 2005 with our joint venture.

”We are determined to further enhance our pioneering role in promoting dialogue and mutual understanding,” he added.