Türkiye's Fidan presses EU on Cyprus blockage after NATO talks in Brussels

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called on the European Union to break a long-standing political impasse that he says is crippling strategic cooperation between Ankara and Brussels. Speaking to reporters after attending a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, Fidan argued that opposition from the Greek Cypriot Administration, alongside Greece, has become a major roadblock. He stated that this situation holds the "synergy area" affecting the fate of over 400 million EU citizens and Turks "hostage by a small group of people," a stance he claimed no strategic thinker would accept.

A call to unblock Türkiye-EU institutional progress

Fidan detailed his recent lengthy meetings with EU officials, including Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. He emphasized that while there are ongoing efforts regarding Türkiye's EU accession process, concrete steps are needed. "Some chapters need to be opened. Some blockages need to be removed. There are certain decisions taken in 2019 that need to be reversed," he said. The discussions also covered modernizing the Customs Union, visa liberalization, and restarting the European Investment Bank's full activities in Türkiye, which Ankara views as fundamental to a win-win partnership.

Türkiye as a pivotal peace broker and regional connector

Beyond bilateral ties, Fidan highlighted Türkiye's central role in critical foreign policy dossiers shared with the EU, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the situation in Syria. He expressed hope for a positive outcome in Ukraine peace talks, noting Türkiye's readiness to host direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine again, citing the successful foundation laid by talks in Istanbul. He also pointed to Türkiye's decades of groundwork in Africa and Central Asia as forming a vital basis for future EU-Türkiye collaboration on connectivity projects, turning Ankara's independent foreign policy into a shared asset.

Securing the Black Sea as a zone of stability

Addressing regional security, Fidan pointed to recent attacks on commercial ships in Türkiye's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea as validation of Ankara's early warnings. He noted the formation of a trilateral mine-hunting group with Bulgaria and Romania and stressed that such incidents endanger navigation and risk closing the sea to trade. As the nation with the longest Black Sea coastline, Türkiye is asserting its responsibility and leadership in preserving the waterway as an open, secure zone for energy routes, cables, and commerce, which is especially critical for neighboring EU states.