EU commissioner: Turkey's actions widen gap with membership goal

Turkey is moving further away from its objective of joining the European Union due to its recent crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community and limitations on media freedoms, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on Friday.

Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU since 1999, but its accession has long been frozen over issues including its human rights record and democratic backsliding.

Last week, a Turkish court ordered access to the independent news outlet T24's website and social media accounts blocked after authorities deemed 118 pieces of content published over the past year to constitute "LGBT propaganda." This decision was part of a widening crackdown targeting LGBTQ+ groups, which the government states aims to protect children and family values, but has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and the EU.

Speaking to reporters in Edirne, Kos stated that while the bloc has a strong interest in developing a cooperative relationship with Turkey in light of "new realities" in Europe, concerns over democratic standards remain. "The latest developments affecting media freedom, the rights of the LGBTQI+ people and local democracy are widening the gap with Turkey's objective of joining the EU," Kos said.

She added that the EU's annual enlargement report, due on October 28, will reflect "our serious concerns in these areas." There was no immediate Turkish government reaction to Kos' remarks.

Despite the lack of progress on its membership aspirations, Turkey has been looking to increase cooperation with the EU, calling for an update of its customs union and seeking to join EU programs such as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative, and its "Made in Europe" rules. Kos noted that conflicts in the region, particularly the expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war to the Black Sea, underscore the importance of cooperation with Turkey, stating its relevance is "significantly higher than it was four or five years back."

Kos outlined two tracks of work with Turkey: a "targeted update" of the customs union requiring legislative alignment from Ankara, and public procurement, which is important for Ankara's aim of joining the "Made in Europe" rules.