Türkiye has slammed “unfounded allegations” in the European Commission’s 2026 Türkiye report, accusing some EU officials of applying double standards and adopting an increasingly inconsistent approach toward Ankara.
In a statement on Wednesday in response to the report, the Turkish foreign ministry said the European Commission’s assessment, published as part of its 2026 Enlargement Package, once again demonstrated the EU’s "prejudiced and unfair attitude" towards Türkiye.
The ministry particularly criticised the report’s assessments of political criteria, the judiciary and fundamental rights, rejecting the allegations as lacking credibility.
It also accused the EU of supporting "unrealistic and legally questionable positions" taken by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, while disregarding the legitimate rights and interests of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
On the Cyprus issue, Ankara reiterated that the EU cannot make a meaningful contribution to efforts toward a settlement as long as it unconditionally adopts the Greek Cypriot position.
The ministry rejected the report’s assessments concerning the Eastern Mediterranean, describing them as contrary to international law and the principle of fairness.
It also dismissed the report’s remarks on the maritime agreement between Türkiye and Libya as having no legal validity.
Welcomes positive economic assessments
Separately, the ministry welcomed several aspects of the report, particularly its recognition of Türkiye’s progress in economic and monetary policy.
Ankara said it considered positive the bloc's assessments of Türkiye’s functioning market economy and its capacity to withstand competitive pressures within the EU.
The ministry also welcomed references to Türkiye’s role in connectivity, supply chains, value-chain resilience, defence, and security.
Pointing to the economic and trade data included in the report, Ankara renewed its call for the modernisation of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, describing this as a legitimate and justified expectation.
Calls for a stronger EU-Türkiye partnership
The ministry underlined that relations between Türkiye and the EU should be shaped by shared interests and a long-term vision rather than narrow political calculations and unilateral approaches.
Reaffirming Türkiye’s willingness to advance relations on the basis of mutual trust, respect and fairness, the statement said Ankara remained committed to its obligations under partnership law and the principle of keeping agreements.
Türkiye also called on the EU to turn the recent increase in dialogue into concrete decisions that would strengthen the country’s EU membership perspective.
The ministry urged Brussels to demonstrate the strategic political will required to build a shared future with Türkiye.
