The EU's Warnings

Everyone is actually aware of everything.
Everything good and bad about the country they live in, themselves, their families and their surroundings is out in the open.
Still, there are question marks in people's minds about who is right and who is wrong. Especially the media, which manages perceptions and also manipulates all of us, is gnawing at our brains. It confuses right and wrong.
On one side, the government; on the other, the opposition. What is right and what is wrong, who is telling the truth and who is lying—it's all becoming increasingly complex.
In times like these, the best course of action is to look at how others perceive your situation. Let us therefore take a fresh look at Turkey's situation and examine some of the points raised in the European Union's 2024 report on Turkey.
This will make it clearer who is right and who is wrong, and reduce the number of question marks in our minds.
Since 1998, the European Commission has published annual reports assessing the progress made by candidate countries in meeting the Copenhagen criteria. These reports were called ‘Progress Reports’ until 2016 and have since been renamed ‘Country Reports.’
The country reports prepared by the European Commission are unilateral documents reflecting the Commission's views and assessments. The 2024 report on Turkey consists of a total of 90 pages, and some of the critical issues are highlighted in quotation marks, followed by my comments below:
There are two important points in the report regarding foreign policy:
1. "Turkey has continued its extraordinary efforts to host 3.6 million refugees from Syria and other countries. The EU has allocated €10 billion since 2011 to support refugees and the host communities. The Commission has continued to provide assistance in areas such as basic needs, border management, education, health, protection and socio-economic support." This point indicates that Turkey is officially caring for nearly 4 million refugees and receiving 10 billion euros in support from the EU. The refugee issue appears to be one of the reasons for the difficulties faced by the Turkish economy.
2. ‘Bilateral relations between Turkey and Greece have continued to improve since 2023 thanks to Turkey's refraining from any unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean or flights over Greek islands. Turkey has continued to refuse to recognise the Republic of Cyprus and has repeatedly defended a two-state solution in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.’ So, Turkey has not been conducting operations in the Aegean Sea that would upset Greece since 2023, and it is not defending its rights in such a reckless manner. Our drilling ships are not operating in the Eastern Mediterranean either. It seems we have a government that has somehow given up on the Blue Homeland or considers it unimportant and is reluctant to declare this to the domestic public. On the Cyprus issue, I am among those who believe that the EU has no right to speak. If you make a country whose problem has not been resolved a full member in a manner contrary to your own acquis, you will naturally be one of the reasons why the problem cannot be resolved.
Let us now turn to domestic policy issues:
1. "Turkey remains at an initial stage of preparedness in the fight against corruption, and no progress has been made during the reporting period. Turkey has not taken steps to establish a framework for prevention and control or to set up anti-corruption units in line with the Council of Europe's Civil Law and Criminal Law Conventions on Corruption, the recommendations of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the UN Convention against Corruption." This article is a clear indication of the failure of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which came to power in 2002 with the promise of fighting corruption, poverty, and restrictions, in addressing corruption. Unfortunately, the fight against corruption in Turkey has become politicised, shaped by the political situation, and it has been revealed that the EU is unable to conduct a genuine struggle against it.
2. "The presidential system has greatly weakened the legislative and supervisory functions of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. The Assembly lacks the tools to ensure the accountability of the government. The absence of a system of checks and balances continues to be a defining feature of the presidential system. Most regulatory institutions are still directly subordinate to the Presidency, and public administration has become largely politicised. The government's pressure on opposition party mayors continues to weaken local democracy." As can be seen, the Turkish-style presidential system has been heavily criticised by the EU. The most important reasons for this criticism can be summarised as the collapse of the system of checks and balances and the weakening of democracy.
3. "Turkey is still at an initial stage of preparedness in the area of the rule of law and fundamental rights. No progress has been made on the fundamental issues identified in previous reports, and serious concerns remain." It does not take a prophet to predict that this article will be much worse in the 2025 report to be published next year. In particular, the arrests of CHP mayors and municipal officials, which have intensified since March, and the legal proceedings they are facing are expected to feature heavily in next year's report.
4. ‘The overall situation regarding human rights in the country has not improved and remains a source of concern. The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey continues to be seriously impeded. Structural deficiencies in the presidential system remain unaddressed.’
5. ‘In terrorism-related cases, the practice of presenting evidence obtained from secret witnesses who cannot be cross-examined or from a single witness without supporting evidence continues to be a cause for concern due to its clear interference with the right to a fair trial. These practices are not in line with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.’
As can be seen, the EU has been heavily criticising Turkey, particularly since the transition to the presidential system of government. Turkey should not be a country subject to such criticism. The issues raised in the report should be taken into consideration, and measures to improve democracy, human rights and freedoms should be swiftly implemented. Moreover, these measures should be implemented not because the EU wants them, but because they are necessary. Turkey must take steps to achieve the goal of a modern civilisation set by its founding leader, and fulfil its obligation to become a democratic, secular, modern, and social state governed by the rule of law. The Turkish people must understand and evaluate the situation in which the ruling party, which has been in power for 23 years, has brought the country, and make their choice accordingly in the upcoming elections.