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The European Parliament is set to vote on Wednesday on a new Türkiye report that has drawn sharp criticism from Ankara over a call for possible EU sanctions against Türkiye's Justice Minister Akin Gurlek.
The report, drafted by Spanish lawmaker Nacho Sanchez Amor, criticizes Türkiye over the rule of law, judicial independence, fundamental rights, and democratic standards.
It also says EU accession negotiations, which have been effectively at a standstill since 2018, cannot be revived without concrete progress on democratic reforms and the rule of law.
The most contentious section names Gurlek, a former Istanbul chief public prosecutor and current justice minister, among Turkish officials who could be targeted under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.
The draft calls for restrictive measures, including asset freezes, against Turkish officials it claims are responsible for serious and deliberate violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The text triggered a strong response from Ankara.
Gurlek dismissed the report as nonbinding and politically motivated, saying European Parliament reports are advisory political texts.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, he said Turkish courts act under the constitution and laws and that Türkiye would continue its fight against terrorism, organized crime, corruption and other unlawful activities.
“We did our duty, and we will continue to do so,” Gurlek said. “The report is a recommendation.”
He also accused the lawmaker behind the remarks of having an ideological approach and links to marginal groups.
Ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) spokesperson Omer Celik also criticized the European Parliament, saying Türkiye’s sovereign rights were not open to debate. Celik said no one had the right to target the Turkish Cabinet, Gurlek, or any other minister with what he called disrespectful language.
“Respect for the sovereign rights of the Republic of Türkiye cannot be a matter of debate,” Celik said, accusing some European Parliament members of acting with a “colonial commissioner” attitude.
The European Parliament’s reports are not legally binding. Even if the report is adopted, it would not automatically impose sanctions on Gurlek or any other Turkish official.
Under EU rules, sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime require action by the EU foreign policy chief or member states and the unanimous approval of all 27 EU countries.
The measures can include travel bans, asset freezes, and a ban on making funds or economic resources available to listed individuals or entities.
The European Parliament made a similar sanctions call in its 2025 Türkiye report, but that text did not name a specific Turkish official. The new draft is notable because it directly names Gurlek.
The report also addresses several other issues in Türkiye-EU relations.
It criticizes what it describes as the erosion of the rule of law and the lack of judicial independence in Türkiye, saying double standards are widely applied in the judiciary.
The text also raises concerns about secularism, saying Turkish authorities have promoted what it describes as a conservative moral agenda based on a religious approach. The reference is notable because the European Parliament had not emphasized secularism in its Türkiye reports for several years.
On visas, the report says Turkish citizens continue to face difficulties in Schengen visa applications, including long waiting times and administrative problems. It urges Türkiye to meet the remaining six benchmarks for visa liberalization and calls on the EU Council to act once those steps are completed.
At the same time, the report welcomes Türkiye’s continued macroeconomic stabilization efforts and its hosting of about 2.7 million refugees.
It also recognizes Türkiye’s strategic and geopolitical importance as a NATO ally and says pragmatic cooperation can be strengthened in areas such as security, migration, counterterrorism and energy.
The report supports the “Terror-free Türkiye” initiative and welcomes efforts by Turkish authorities and political parties, while warning that delays and a lack of decisive steps could make the process more fragile.
On foreign policy, the report underlines Türkiye’s role in regional security, Ukraine, the Black Sea, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East. It also criticizes Ankara for not joining EU sanctions against Russia and repeats the European Parliament’s position that Türkiye should abandon support for a two-state solution on the island of Cyprus.
Another possible point of tension is an amendment concerning the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP.
The draft report did not initially include the recent legal controversy over the party’s congress because the process emerged after the first version was prepared.
A Turkish court in May ruled that the CHP's 2023 party congress, which brought Ozgur Ozel to the leadership, was legally invalid due to alleged procedural irregularities. The decision reinstated the party's pre-congress administration under Kemal Kilicdaroglu on an interim basis pending a new congress.
Sanchez Amor later submitted an amendment describing the case as part of a broader pressure campaign against the opposition. Whether that language will be included in the final report will be decided during the vote.
For Ankara, the most sensitive issue remains the direct reference to Gurlek. Turkish officials argue that the European Parliament is overstepping by targeting a sitting minister and trying to influence Türkiye’s judiciary.
For the European Parliament, the report is meant to increase political pressure over what it sees as democratic backsliding.
The outcome of Wednesday’s vote will not create immediate legal consequences, but it could further sharpen the tone in Türkiye-EU relations at a time when both sides are also seeking pragmatic cooperation on security, migration, energy and regional crises.
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