The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the adoption of the text of the EU Council Conclusions on Enlargement, which was the product of negotiations between member states over the past period.
The Council accurately and succinctly records the state of affairs with regard to Turkey, underlining the complete lack of progress in its accession process. At the same time, it reiterates its responsibilities and obligations arising from its Cyprus obligations.
In particular, the Conclusions are particularly critical of Turkey, since they confirm the EU's commitment to finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed form of a bizonal bicommunal federation, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, compatible with the European acquis and the principles on which the EU is founded. The Conclusions even call on Turkey to contribute in this direction.
An important innovative element of this year's Conclusions is the call to Ankara to stop any actions that could potentially lead to the upgrading of the pseudo-state and are therefore contrary to Resolutions 541 and 550. This reference is included for the first time in EU Conclusions and is considered to be of major importance in the light of Turkey's efforts to upgrade the status of the breakaway entity.
The references to Varosha are also considered particularly important, where again the illegal actions are condemned and Ankara is called upon to reverse the fait accompli it attempts to impose within the enclosed area and to fully respect Security Council Resolutions 550, 789, 1251.
The Council also expresses the EU's strong disappointment at Turkey's failure to align itself with the EU's restrictive measures against Russia but also at Ankara's general disengagement and conflicting policies from the adoption of the Union's political priorities, notably those falling within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The latest European Council Decisions on the situation in the Mediterranean, including the one of June 2022, where the European Leaders reiterated their concern about Ankara's continued provocative moves and hybrid rhetoric against Member States.
At the same time, Turkey is once again called upon to implement all its Cyprus obligations, i.e. recognition of the RoC, normalization of relations, extension of the Additional Protocol to the Customs Union).
At the same time, Turkey is once again called upon to implement all its Cyprus obligations, i.e. recognition of the RoC, normalization of relations, extension of the Additional Protocol to the Customs Union).
With regard to migration, the Council recalls Turkey's obligations as recorded by the European Council to implement fully and without discrimination the 2016 EU-Turkey Declaration on Migration towards the RoC as well.
Also an important new element of this year's conclusions is the reference to Turkey's obligation to align its visa policy with that of the EU.
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