CHP calls on EU to revisit Turkey’s accession process

ANKARA

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has called on the EU to revive Turkey’s long-stalled full membership process while expressing his regret to observe that Turkey was only mentioned in the context of the foreign policy matters in Brussels.

“Today, I feel deeply sorry to see that Turkey is brought to agenda only within the context of the foreign policy and that its accession process is never mentioned at the EU Council meetings,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in his letter to the EU ambassadors in Ankara as well as to the leaders of the political parties, which are members of the Socialist International.

CHP has always been a true advocate of Turkey’s accession to the EU by upgrading its democratic and human rights standards to the level of the EU, Kılıçdaroğlu said, while attaching importance to bringing the positive agenda to the fore at a summit in December.

“A general political consensus is needed both in Turkey and in the EU countries for Turkey’s accession to the EU,” he said, assuring that Turkey has the capacity to overcome today’s existing problems stemming from its democratic deficiencies.

Kılıçdaroğlu recalled that 2019 local elections have proven that Turkey can resolve its problems.

“Fundamentally, the democratization program we envisage for Turkey is based on a principle of turning it into a respectful member of the family of Western democracies,” he stressed.

Democrats across the world should come together around the principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights against the growing authoritarian populist political trends, Kılıçdaroğlu stated, calling on the EU and European politicians to stand against opinions that exclude Turkey from the European integration.

“We regard Turkey’s membership to the EU as a fundamental objective,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding that this stands as the main pillar of the CHP’s foreign policy.