EDAM Chairperson, Ambassador (R) Tacan İldem, in his article for T24, assessed the justified concern in Turkish public opinion caused by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks placing Türkiye in the same category as Russia and China in the context of the Balkans. İldem underlined that the debate reflects a broader structural deadlock in Türkiye-EU relations and the erosion of a genuine partnership vision. The article examines how relations, despite mutual needs in areas such as migration management, energy security, trade, and regional crises, have fallen short of producing lasting and institutional convergence. İldem argued that, without abandoning the full membership perspective, Türkiye and the EU should discuss a more functional and flexible partnership model based on steps such as modernizing the Customs Union, advancing the visa liberalization process, and developing more institutionalized mechanisms for security cooperation. He also emphasized that such a transformation would require Türkiye to make concrete progress in democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights, and freedoms, while the EU should adopt a more inclusive, strategic approach toward Türkiye that goes beyond short-term political calculations.
