IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu reacted to Turkey being singled out of the enlargement perspective with the department responsible for relations with Turkey being moved under a separate directorate called “Southern Neighbourhood, Turkey, Migration/Refugees and Security Issues" in European Commission's Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR). Stating that it was unacceptable that Turkey as a candidate country was being treated within the scope of the neighbourhood and solely from a migration and security perspective, IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu continued his remarks as follows:

“There has been a structural change within the European Commission’s Directorate General Directorate for ‘Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations’. While Turkey was previously handled in the same directorate as the Western Balkans, it has now been moved under the directorate named “Southern Neighbourhood, Turkey, Migration/Refugees and Security Issues”. This reveals that it was excluded from the scope of enlargement negotiations thus placed on a different path from Western Balkans. We are aware that Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Directorate for EU Affairs have been trying to prevent this change which took place silently. However, the outcome did not change and the department dealing with relations with Turkey was moved. We find this situation regrettable. Turkey is a candidate country. It will be extremely difficult for an EU, which cannot design and include in its strategic plan Turkey's accession as a member, to achieve its goal of becoming geopolitical. Moreover, it is unacceptable for the EU to equate Turkey with its Southern Neighbours, which have no EU membership perspective nor do they enjoy the advanced level of integration with the EU such as the Customs Union. Associating this department only with migration and security implies disregarding the multidimensional and intricate relations between Turkey and the EU encompassing issues such as climate, health and energy, and it is certain that it will be insufficient”.