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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated on Friday that Türkiye expects the European Union to express clear political will regarding Turkish membership, as he met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to discuss deepening bilateral ties and EU integration.
"Türkiye's expectation from the EU is that the European Union, particularly with political will, clearly expresses that they have no reservations about Türkiye's membership," Fidan said during a joint press conference following talks at the Foreign Ministry.
Fidan emphasized that while technical and professional criteria must be met, what matters most is demonstrating genuine intent. "But what really matters is expressing the true intention behind it," he said.
Fidan highlighted the strong economic relationship between the two nations, noting, "The EU is Türkiye's largest trading partner. In this context, we conduct approximately $50 billion of our total $220 billion in EU trade with Germany."
"Germany is one of our largest trading partners. We believe we can increase our bilateral trade volume to $60 billion in the near future," he added.
"Because we see how intense the business activities of businesspeople, students and other social interactions are. There are new business developments, new projects, new investments emerging from all of this. We think this will progress further," Fidan noted.
Fidan later noted that energy cooperation between the two nations is strengthening, saying, "We are pleased to see that cooperation in the energy field is strengthening. In this context, we evaluate the liquefied natural gas supply agreement that was signed as a positive step."
"We foresee that the Joint Economic and Trade Committee meeting and the Energy and Mining Forum will be held under Türkiye's hosting this year," Fidan said.
On future cooperation areas, Fidan said: "We think cooperation with Germany in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence and digitalization can be increased."
Regarding the Turkish community in Germany, Fidan said: "One of the strongest bonds between our countries is the Turkish community in Germany. The contributions of the Turkish community to German society, economy and culture are a source of pride for both nations. I request that the Minister convey our regards from Türkiye to our brothers and sisters in Germany."
Fidan emphasized that both sides discussed Türkiye-EU relations in depth, saying, "The EU is Türkiye's largest trading partner. In this context, we must start negotiations on updating the customs union without losing time. We have shared with my valued counterpart that we expect Germany's support on this matter."
"Another priority issue is the revival of the visa liberalization dialogue. In this matter, we repeated our mutual declarations of intent. Türkiye has four to five issues to address. Our preliminary consultations within our system on this matter are complete. We will take the necessary steps. Our president is also quite sensitive about this matter. We believe that progress in this area will give new momentum to Türkiye-EU relations," he added.
On Schengen visa procedures, Fidan said: "We appreciate the facilitating and accelerating measures taken by the EU side on Schengen visa application processes, but the problems in these areas have not been completely resolved and we also shared our expectations on this matter with my German counterpart."
Fidan stressed the importance of strategic thinking, stating that "Acting with a long-term strategic perspective in Türkiye-EU relations is in the common interest of both sides."
"We expect the EU to set aside its prejudiced attitudes trapped in the narrow political calculations of some countries," he said.
"We also emphasize working closely on issues concerning the security of our countries and Europe as two allies. In this context, we see joint projects, not restrictions, on the agenda in the defense industry where our capabilities and possibilities are strong," Fidan added.
"We welcomed Germany's positive steps in this direction. Türkiye's effective participation in the EU's European Security Action Programme and development of joint projects is also of critical importance," he noted.
Fidan emphasized President Erdogan's commitment by saying, "I know that our President has full will on this matter and as a government we are determined to do what is necessary."
"Türkiye's expectation from the EU is that the European Union, especially with political will as an intention, clearly expresses that they have no reservations about Türkiye's membership. Of course, some criteria need to be met in implementation; there are professional works to be done, technical works, political works. Those will, of course, be done. But you know, the really important thing behind all that is to express the true intention," Fidan said.
"When necessary conditions are met and the EU forms the will to say 'I have no problem with Türkiye being within the EU, on the contrary, I would be pleased,' the frozen issues will be opened and implemented very soon. I believe in this," he said.
On the broader EU context, Fidan noted: "After the elections, we see that governments, especially in Germany, are giving new importance to this in the new European dynamic and new European spirit."
Emphasizing geography, Fidan said, "Geography matters. Türkiye is currently located in the geography where we breathe the same air as Europe and EU countries and we are in the same region."
He continued: "Türkiye has elements looking at other geographies. But an alliance we will build together in Europe, an attraction center we will create together, makes us less dependent on the rest of the world. A superpower can emerge from the union of Türkiye and the EU," Fidan said.
"When a power like Türkiye does not unite with a power like Europe, both sides continue with their own dependencies," he added.
On timing, Fidan said: "If Türkiye had been an EU member on time, perhaps Brexit would not have happened and the European Union could have been more resilient against the crises it faces today. But every country has its own internal politics and political dynamics. The ideologies and political perceptions of societies evolve over time. These need to mature, but today we are in a better position. We are more hopeful. With mutual strategic maturity, we will overcome the obstacles ahead and set clearer goals in Türkiye-EU relations."
On Syria, Fidan said Türkiye is closely monitoring talks between the Syrian government and the SDF, expressing hope that their integration will contribute to national security, meet public expectations, and support economic development. He added that the Syrian government should be given the opportunity to establish control over the country’s northeast and its natural resources.
Fidan noted that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to visit Türkiye soon. He said his German counterpart first visited on May 15 during the informal NATO Foreign Ministers meeting hosted by Türkiye, and that today’s official visit to Ankara included productive discussions. Fidan added that they also reviewed preparations for the upcoming chancellor’s visit.
On Ukraine, Fidan said: "We discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine with my counterpart. We exchanged views on possible peace scenarios and ceasefire."
He emphasized Türkiye's mediation success: "A mediator must speak with both sides. We saw President Trump first meet with President Putin in Alaska, then come to Washington D.C. to meet with President (Volodymr) Zelenskyy and European leaders."
On the Budapest meeting, Fidan stated: "I believe that President (Vladimir) Putin's meeting with him is not 'a decision being made in Ukraine's absence.' The U.S. currently does not have such a mediator attitude. It is speaking with both sides separately."
Fidan elaborated on Türkiye's role: "When we conducted mediation activities between Russia and Ukraine, we held both separate talks and brought the parties together for three rounds in Istanbul. Actually, this three-round activity that Türkiye conducted provided great service in forming the foundation for the leader-level meetings now taking place."
He explained the impact of mediation: "Through Türkiye's mediation activities, both sides not only benefited from the exchange and implementation of prisoners and other humanitarian matters, but also both sides understood each other better. They saw the boundaries of issues they could discuss and the areas they could advance. They reported this to their leaders and now the leaders are discussing it among themselves in a certain manner," Fidan said.
Fidan concluded by saying that Türkiye remains optimistic about the Russia-Ukraine war and believes ongoing efforts will continue, emphasizing President Erdogan’s strong commitment to the issue.
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