Turkey strongly criticized the European Parliament report over its stance on Cyprus

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the head of the Presidential Administration’s Directorate of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, rejected the European Parliament’s annual report on Turkey for 2025, calling it biased, unfounded and ideologized. In Ankara, they said the document promotes the interests of anti-Turkish circles and undermines the positive agenda between Turkey and the EU.

The main points of the dispute and the positions of the sides:
• The Cyprus issue and the “Blue Homeland”: the Turkish side emphasized that criticism of its “Blue Homeland” doctrine is unfounded, while the EP’s position on Cyprus reflects solely the maximalist demands of Greece.
• The judiciary: Ankara rejected allegations of the politicization of the courts and attacks on Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, saying that the Turkish justice system is fully independent.
• The essence of the EP report: MEPs stated that Turkey’s EU accession process has been frozen since 2018 due to a lack of reforms in the areas of human rights, press freedom and the rule of law. At the same time, the report describes Turkey as a strategic partner and NATO member.
• Brussels’ claims: the EP text contains assertions that Turkey is violating the sovereign rights of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, and rapporteur Sánchez Nacés Amor stated that democratic pluralism in the country is weakening.