Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik gave a speech at the Elcano Royal Institute

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ömer Çelik gave a speech in the meeting titled “Future: Europe and Türkiye-EU Relations” held at the prominent think tank Elcano Royal Institute in Spain.

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik indicated in his speech that the future of the EU directly concerned Spain, a large European democratic power, and Türkiye, a candidate for EU membership.

Pointing out that Türkiye, a part of Europe throughout history, was a large European country that benefitted and contributed to the mentality and values in this region, Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said: “The contributions of the Spain, an important EU Member State, to European military, political and economic power are apparent. Spain and Türkiye have common interests in the security of Western countries and the stability of the Mediterranean.”

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik indicated that it was not difficult to understand Spanish support for Türkiye’s EU membership and said that Spain better understood Türkiye’s fight against PKK terrorism due to its protracted fight against ETA terrorism.

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik said that the crisis in Europe was aggravated by the hostility to Islam, migrants, multiculturalism and anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric of populist movements, as well as politics of opposition to the EU and the inability of centre parties to develop alternative discourses.

Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik indicated that he hoped that the EU would be strengthened by the challenges and said: “In fact the exploitation of the issue of Türkiye’s EU membership for internal politics is not a matter directly related to Türkiye. Populist politicians, veiling the main problems of the EU, are trying to benefit from unjustified opposition to Türkiye. It would not be wrong to say that this matter is a crisis of the EU.”