EP rapporteur calls Turkey's democratic decline 'painful to watch'

WISE NEWS PRESS / ISTANBUL, TURKEY — DEC. 08, 2025

Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament's Rapporteur for Turkey, stated that witnessing the democratic regression in Turkey over the last decade has been "painful," emphasizing that the gravity of the situation is much clearer when viewed from the outside.

Speaking at a conference in Istanbul organized by the Republican People's Party (CHP), Amor addressed the stagnation of Turkey's European Union membership process. He argued that the primary obstacle blocking Turkey's path is not European reluctance, but rather the errors made within Turkey regarding democracy and the rule of law.

Injustice and Moral Weakness

Amor highlighted the legal process against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as the clearest example of the country's judicial issues, describing it as a major injustice affecting a large segment of society rather than mere unlawfulness. He expressed sadness that parts of society are beginning to normalize such injustices.

During his visit, Amor met with İmamoğlu and visited political figures currently imprisoned, including Osman Kavala, Can Atalay, and Selahattin Demirtaş. He criticized the silence within the EU regarding these cases, stating that leaders who avoid supporting Turkey's struggle for democracy display "European moral weakness".

Membership vs. Strategic Partnership

Amor also warned against the concept of "strategic partnership," a term often used in EU progress reports. He argued that this rhetoric frequently serves to make Turkey forget its membership perspective by focusing only on security, trade, and migration.

"Turkey is a candidate country and the membership process must be taken as the basis," Amor said, insisting that this reality must be constantly recalled despite attempts to overshadow it.

Missing the Window of Opportunity

The rapporteur stressed that high-profile detainees like Kavala, Demirtaş, and Atalay are held for "political reasons" and pointed to the disregard for European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and Constitutional Court rulings as evidence of judicial double standards.

Amor concluded by noting that while the EU's enlargement policy has gained new momentum, Turkey is missing this "window of opportunity" due to a lack of will to address the erosion of the rule of law. He reiterated his previous sentiment that Turkey's path to the EU begins in places like the Silivri prison, emphasizing that continued regression will damage the trust needed for deeper cooperation.

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