Germany’s support signals ‘renewal of political will’ for Türkiye’s EU path: Turkish foreign minister

ISTANBUL 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday that he believed there soon might be “new progress” in Ankara’s push to join the EU, pointing to recent remarks by Germany’s chancellor.

Speaking during a live broadcast on A News, Fidan welcomed Friedrich Merz’s comments supporting Türkiye’s EU membership, calling them “an important renewal of political will.”

“I believe there will be new progress with the European Union in this period,” he said, adding: “For the German chancellor to state publicly in Ankara that Germany wants Türkiye in the EU is a significant renewal of political will. The fact that this comes from Germany is important, and we value it.”

Responding to a question on Türkiye’s accession process, Fidan said both Ankara and Brussels were operating within a “new set of conditions and psychology,” requiring fresh approaches and policies. He underlined that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s position following his reelection in May 2023 has been a key driver.

“Following the election, the president made it clear to me that he expected maximum effort on this file,” Fidan said, noting that this constituted a direct mandate on EU policy.

– EU defense industry

Fidan also discussed recent shifts in EU security and defense priorities. He said the EU’s efforts to reshape its security architecture place a strong emphasis on revitalizing the bloc’s defense industry.

He noted that this priority gained momentum after the Russia-Ukraine war and further accelerated under the Trump administration.

The EU, he said, plans to establish a joint €150 billion (over $174 billion) low-interest fund to support defense capabilities, which member states will be able to access. The bloc has also lifted its borrowing ceiling under financial rules and created an additional €800 billion ($930 billion) fund, describing it as a mechanism of taking money from the future to save the day.

Addressing mechanisms applied to candidate countries, Fidan noted that some resources require approval from EU members. “Here, certain difficulties may arise for Türkiye due to Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration,” he said.

Despite this, he stressed, the larger €800 billion fund, along with the growing number of Turkish firms establishing companies and joint ventures across the EU, will enable Türkiye to benefit from the bloc’s financial instruments.

Turkish companies’ growing presence in the EU through new firms and partnerships would allow Türkiye to make better use of these funds, he said.

He said Ankara aims to build prosperity-based cooperation not only with the EU, but also with its partners to the east, north and across the Mediterranean. Fidan said the EU has succeeded in becoming a supranational entity, but “could not become a civilization-transcending entity.”

Highlighting Türkiye’s progress, he added that Türkiye completed major infrastructure, energy, defense, health, communication and education investments largely without receiving major EU funds. “Türkiye now has infrastructure far above the standards of many European countries, and its population is approaching 90 million,” he said.

– Turkish Cypriots will not accept second-class status

Fidan also addressed the issue of Cyprus, stating that provocations on the island were not new, noting that even fringe groups within the Turkish Cypriot community engaged in anti-Türkiye rhetoric. He stressed that Ankara would keep defending the equal sovereign rights of Turkish Cypriots.

“They will not accept a second-class status, and neither will we as a guarantor state,” he said, adding that the two-state model is the most realistic and stable formula.

He said he met with TRNC President Tufan Erhurman during his recent visit to Türkiye, where they discussed strengthening coordination on foreign policy, messaging and joint action. “It was a productive meeting, and I believe we will work together in a coordinated and harmonious way,” he said.

Fidan criticized the EU for “importing the Greek Cypriot problem into its system,” saying the bloc’s decision-making rules have been exploited, leading to repeated internal deadlocks.

He noted that the EU is now seeking to shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting because it cannot take decisions on several key issues, “including those related to Türkiye.”

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