Germany’s backing marks ‘renewal of political will’ for Türkiye’s EU bid, says Fidan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on 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 defence industry

Fidan also discussed recent shifts in EU security and defence priorities.

He said the EU’s efforts to reshape its security architecture place a strong emphasis on revitalising the bloc’s defence 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 defence 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.