{"id":573739,"date":"2025-11-16T08:20:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T08:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/573739\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T08:20:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T08:20:24","slug":"germanys-support-signals-renewal-of-political-will-for-turkiyes-eu-path-turkish-foreign-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/573739\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany\u2019s support signals \u2018renewal of political will\u2019 for T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s EU path: Turkish foreign minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

ISTANBUL\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Speaking during a live broadcast on A News, Fidan welcomed Friedrich Merz\u2019s comments supporting T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s EU membership, calling them \u201can important renewal of political will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe there will be new progress with the European Union in this period,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cFor the German chancellor to state publicly in Ankara that Germany wants T\u00fcrkiye in the EU is a significant renewal of political will. The fact that this comes from Germany is important, and we value it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to a question on T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s accession process, Fidan said both Ankara and Brussels were operating within a \u201cnew set of conditions and psychology,\u201d requiring fresh approaches and policies. He underlined that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan\u2019s position following his reelection in May 2023 has been a key driver.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing the election, the president made it clear to me that he expected maximum effort on this file,\u201d Fidan said, noting that this constituted a direct mandate on EU policy.<\/p>\n

– EU defense industry<\/p>\n

Fidan also discussed recent shifts in EU security and defense priorities. He said the EU\u2019s efforts to reshape its security architecture place a strong emphasis on revitalizing the bloc\u2019s defense industry.<\/p>\n

He noted that this priority gained momentum after the Russia-Ukraine war and further accelerated under the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

The EU, he said, plans to establish a joint \u20ac150 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 \u20ac800 billion ($930 billion) fund, describing it as a mechanism of taking money from the future to save the day.<\/p>\n

Addressing mechanisms applied to candidate countries, Fidan noted that some resources require approval from EU members. \u201cHere, certain difficulties may arise for T\u00fcrkiye due to Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Despite this, he stressed, the larger \u20ac800 billion fund, along with the growing number of Turkish firms establishing companies and joint ventures across the EU, will enable T\u00fcrkiye to benefit from the bloc\u2019s financial instruments.<\/p>\n

Turkish companies\u2019 growing presence in the EU through new firms and partnerships would allow T\u00fcrkiye to make better use of these funds, he said.<\/p>\n

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 \u201ccould not become a civilization-transcending entity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Highlighting T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s progress, he added that T\u00fcrkiye completed major infrastructure, energy, defense, health, communication and education investments largely without receiving major EU funds. \u201cT\u00fcrkiye now has infrastructure far above the standards of many European countries, and its population is approaching 90 million,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

– Turkish Cypriots will not accept second-class status<\/p>\n

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-T\u00fcrkiye rhetoric. He stressed that Ankara would keep defending the equal sovereign rights of Turkish Cypriots.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey will not accept a second-class status, and neither will we as a guarantor state,\u201d he said, adding that the two-state model is the most realistic and stable formula.<\/p>\n

He said he met with TRNC President Tufan Erhurman during his recent visit to T\u00fcrkiye, where they discussed strengthening coordination on foreign policy, messaging and joint action. \u201cIt was a productive meeting, and I believe we will work together in a coordinated and harmonious way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fidan criticized the EU for \u201cimporting the Greek Cypriot problem into its system,\u201d saying the bloc\u2019s decision-making rules have been exploited, leading to repeated internal deadlocks.<\/p>\n

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, \u201cincluding those related to T\u00fcrkiye.\u201d<\/p>\n


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