EU Commission's 2026 Türkiye report flags rights concerns and stalled accession talks

The European Commission has published its “Türkiye Report” as part of the 2026 Enlargement Package, announced by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. The report positively assesses Türkiye’s strategic location, its contribution to European security, its international mediation role and its contribution to the resilience of EU supply chains.

However, the report claims there are problems in the areas of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and judicial independence. It recalls that accession negotiations with Türkiye have been at a standstill since 2018. Kos said trade between Türkiye and the EU has reached 210 billion euros, and that some European companies have a clear interest in updating the Customs Union.

Kos said the EU expects Türkiye to respect international law, good neighbourly relations and the sovereignty of EU member states. She said the EU attaches great importance to resuming Cyprus talks and fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to restart formal negotiations.