Austrian leader calls for end of Türkiye- EU negotiations

ANKARA

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has called for the termination of accession negotiations between Türkiye and the European Union and the development of a new concept for desired cooperation between Ankara and Brussels.

"We are inclined towards further rapprochement between Ankara and Brussels, but we cannot envision Türkiye’s full membership in the EU," Nehammer told the German daily Welt on Sept. 11.

Nehammer stressed the need for a new partnership between the EU and Türkiye, based on mutual trust and cooperation, but excluding the full membership, stating, "It's important that we deal honestly with each other. This includes officially ending the accession negotiations that have been frozen for years and developing a new method for cooperation."

EU negotiations, which began 18 years ago but later came to a standstill, were brought back to the forefront following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call in July to restart membership talks with the union.

Pointing out the successful bilateral efforts to enhance relations between Türkiye and Austria, Nehammer stated that he plans to meet with Erdoğan “in the near future.”

Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Ankara, who has become the highest-ranking EU official visiting the Turkish capital following Erdoğan’s statement for the revival of ties between the two sides.

“The EU cannot be a global power without Türkiye,” Fidan said at the beginning of a joint press conference, citing the importance of the cooperation between the two sides on regional and global affairs.