In its report on Turkey published as part of the 2025 Enlargement Package, the European Commission described Turkey as a “candidate country and key partner,” while reiterating its criticisms in the areas of democratic standards, judicial independence, and fundamental rights. It noted that high-level dialogues on trade, economy, security, migration, and climate had resumed over the past two years, but that there was limited political will for coordination on foreign policy. The report highlighted increased capacity in migration management, a decline in flows to the EU, mediation and navigation safety initiatives in the Black Sea and Ukraine context, and contributions to ceasefire and humanitarian aid efforts in the Middle East. In the economy, “high compliance with a functioning market economy” and exit from the gray list were noted positively, while high inflation, anti-competitive practices, and the need for a strategy to combat corruption were noted. A call was made for commitment to negotiations within the framework of UN resolutions in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the “biased and unfounded” statements in the report’s sections on the judiciary and fundamental rights; it emphasized a positive agenda in Turkey-EU relations.
November 4, 2025
Independent Turkish