EU leaders meeting in Brussels on 29-30 June 2023 tasked the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to prepare a "strategic and prospective" report on the future of the relations with Türkiye. Accordingly, civil society and business organizations came together and issued a letter addressing the relevant authorities in support of Türkiye’s EU membership aspirations.

The letter, addressed to Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Policy, and Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy emphasized the following points:

“It is highly important that Türkiye-EU relations move forward in line with the vision of full membership. Recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing challenges such as green and digital transformation, energy security, control of irregular migration, and sustainability of supply chains have further necessitated closer cooperation between Türkiye and the EU and the revitalization of the accession process. Given that the EU enlargement process is in the revival phase, it is urgent to accelerate Türkiye`s relations with the EU in this regard.

Adopting such a visionary approach to the future of relations will also have the effect of putting Türkiye back on the reform agenda and rekindle the accession process. The process of alignment with the Copenhagen and Maastricht criteria could be accelerated again, as in the 1999-2006 period when the EU accession perspective was strong. The continuation of the accession goal and fair treatment of Türkiye as an EU candidate country will be the most encouraging factors in this process.

The deterioration and erosion of relations between Türkiye and EU have been accelerated by the lack of dialogue in crucial areas such as the economy, energy, and transportation as well as the distance between the parties because of the decisions taken by the European Council in July 2019. It has contributed to growing mistrust between the parties, while at the same time blocking the realization of the economic potential between Türkiye and the EU in the face of regional and global threats The fact that the Schengen visa process has become more difficult and restrictive has made contacts between people and business circles difficult. We believe that it is critical to simplify and accelerate the visa process for citizens of the Republic of Türkiye until the visa liberalization process is completed.

Opinion polls conducted by different organizations revealed that the Turkish public support to EU membership ranges from 58% to 79%. The Turkish business community has also supported Türkiye`s alignment with the EU acquis and economic integration. The EU is the most important trading partner for Türkiye, while Türkiye is the EU‘s sixth trading partner. In 2022, total trade between Türkiye and EU reached 196.4 billion dollars.

In this context, the discussions that will take place in the General Affairs Council and later in the European Council on 20 July 2023, will pave the way for a new engagement process with Türkiye. Revitalizing the accession process will accelerate the EU reforms in Türkiye and enable a higher level of alignment and rapprochement with the EU.

Our shared European agenda establishes the necessary foundation for rebuilding trust and reactivating integration. Shaping a rational framework for the future of relations, defining methods, timelines, and objectives, will ensure the engagement of all stakeholders in the EU and Türkiye, encouraging their concrete and active contributions to the process. As civil society organizations, business associations, members of the Türkiye-EU Joint Consultative Committee, and members of the Civil Society Dialogue Türkiye Network, we will continue to support Türkiye`s EU perspective, alignment with the EU acquis, wider integration with the EU, and deepening of Türkiye-EU cooperation.

Revitalising high-level dialogues between Türkiye and the EU on the economy, transportation and energy and initiating the modernization of the Türkiye-EU Customs Union to include the green and digital agenda will be beneficial for all of EU countries.

We are eagerly looking forward to the outcome of your discussions, which we hope will contribute to the development of Türkiye-EU relations in line with the accession perspective”.

The organizations signing the letter are listed as follows: The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), Turkish Industry & Business Association (TÜSİAD), İstanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO), İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), Economic Development Foundation (İKV), Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED), Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye (KADİGER), Federation of Industrial Associations (SEDEFED), Economic Policy Research Foundation Of Türkiye (TEPAV), İstanbul Policy Center (İPM), Türkiye Europe Foundation (TAV), Association of Civil Society Development Center (STGM), Türkiye-EU Association (TURABDER).