Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, in a written answer on 27 July 2026, defended the European Commission's approach to engaging with Türkiye, stating that during her February 2026 visit to Ankara she raised concerns about democratic standards and met members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, including from the opposition. The answer comes in response to a question from Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), who had criticised the Commission for not holding specific meetings with opposition representatives and for failing to express solidarity with imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Kos reiterated that accession negotiations with Türkiye have been at a standstill since 2018, in line with Council conclusions, and that the Commission continues to engage with Türkiye in areas of joint interest without overlooking the deteriorating rule of law and democratic standards, as noted in the 2025 Enlargement report. She expressed concern about the imprisonments of politicians, journalists and intellectuals, including İmamoğlu's arrest, and said the Commission has urged Turkish authorities to ensure treatment in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights. Kos referenced a joint statement by the High Representative and herself on 19 March 2025 on İmamoğlu's arrest, and a 21 May 2026 statement by the European External Action Service spokesperson questioning the rule of law after a court annulled the 2023 People's Republican Party congress.
The answer contains no new concrete proposals or numerical targets, instead reaffirming existing positions and commitments. It signals that the Commission will continue to address rule-of-law issues in its contacts with Turkish authorities, but offers no specific timeline or mechanism for ensuring opposition engagement in future visits. The policy orientation remains one of conditional engagement: maintaining dialogue on shared interests while pressing for democratic standards, without advancing accession negotiations. Institutional follow-up is expected through the annual enlargement report and continued diplomatic demarches.