Turkish Foreign Ministry: “Türkiye will never accept an approach that links progress in Türkiye-EU relations to the Cyprus issue”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye issued a written statement regarding the Conclusions of the Extraordinary European Council of 17-18 April 2024. The statement is as follows:

“The conclusions on Türkiye by the Special European Council held in Brussels on 17-18 April 2024 are yet another example of the EU’s lack of strategic vision on Türkiye and the global developments.

It is contradictory that the Council did not take any decisions on the recommendations of the Joint Communication on EU-Türkiye Relations prepared by the High Representative Borrell and the Commission, although the Council Conclusions emphasise that the EU has a strategic interest in developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Türkiye.

Türkiye will never accept an approach that links progress in Türkiye-EU relations to the Cyprus issue. It is necessary to abandon an understanding which reduces these multifaceted relations to the Cyprus issue. Such a mentality cannot make a positive and constructive contribution to the problem, nor to the other regional and global issues.

Türkiye, as a candidate country, remains committed to membership to the EU. However, we reject the selective limitation of the bilateral cooperation to certain areas. In the coming period, we will review our dialogue with the EU on the basis of reciprocity, taking into account the pace, level and scope of the EU’s steps towards Türkiye”.