EU Rapporteur: Turkey must fully embrace democracy for EU membership

BRUSSELS — The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkish affairs, Nacho Sánchez Amor, recently stated that Turkey must fully embrace democratic principles if it hopes to join the European Union.

During a plenary session of the European Parliament, Sánchez Amor emphasized that there are no shortcuts to EU membership aside from a commitment to democracy. He urged Turkish authorities to adopt a more democratic approach in addressing domestic challenges, including the release of Selahattin Demirtaş, the jailed former leader of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Osman Kavala, the imprisoned Turkish businessman and philanthropist, and Ekrem İmamoğlu (Republican People’s Party, CHP), the mayor of Istanbul and a key opposition figure seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest challenger in the 2028 presidential elections.

“Turkey’s government and media seem to believe that military power alone will secure them EU membership,” Sánchez Amor said. “But that will never happen without genuine democracy and alignment with the fundamental values and interests of the European Union.”

Meanwhile, the Dutch Parliament has formally called on Turkish authorities to immediately release İmamoğlu, describing his detention as illegal and deeply concerning. Lawmakers in The Hague framed the arrest as part of a longstanding pattern of politically motivated prosecutions targeting opposition politicians, journalists, and activists. They further suggested that if İmamoğlu is not freed, the matter should be escalated to NATO, urging the alliance to intervene and address what they see as a major challenge to democracy in Turkey.

In response to what it called “recent alarming developments” in Turkey, the European Commission announced the cancellation of an official visit by Marta Kós, the EU commissioner for enlargement, who had been scheduled to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Beyond diplomatic tensions, the unrest has also spilled into Turkey’s streets. In Istanbul and other major cities, large numbers of shop owners and tradesmen staged a strike, protesting İmamoğlu’s detention and what they see as an erosion of democratic freedoms in the country.