EU enlargement decisions do not help efforts for positive agenda: Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

The enlargement decisions adopted by the European Union at the General Affairs Council have shown once again that the EU “approaches enlargement within the framework of membership solidarity, not from a strategic perspective,” the Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 17.

“These decisions, which are a new example of the EU’s use of the narrow-minded and selfish interests of some member states, do not contribute to Turkey-EU relations and do not serve the general interests of Europe, and do not bring us closer to the goal of creating a positive and constructive agenda,” said the written statement.

“We are surprised to see that the EU acts as an interest group based on bargaining, not as a set of principles and values while making these decisions,” said the statement.

In the parts of the enlargement decisions regarding Turkey, it is ignored that Ankara is conducting membership negotiations with the EU, and the importance of the country in terms of both EU and regional peace, stability and prosperity is “denied or even misrepresented,” said the ministry.

The decisions regarding the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus issue are also decisions that are “disconnected from reality, one-sided, inconsistent and reflect the maximalist attitude of the Greek-Greek duo,” it said.

Turkey has the will to develop its relations with the European Union through a concrete and positive agenda based on the membership perspective, the ministry said.

“However, it is clear that these policies, which are detached from reality, created within the framework of ideological and membership solidarity, will not benefit Turkey-EU relations. We invite the EU to abandon this strategic blindness,” read the statement.