Turkey’s FM Fidan Urges EU to Act on ‘Incredible Cooperation Potential’
Reflecto News | Europe-Turkey Relations | Geopolitics
VIENNA — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called on the European Union to transform its stalled political dialogue into practical cooperation, declaring that there is “incredible cooperation potential” between the two sides and urging Brussels to move beyond political deadlock and take concrete action.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Vienna alongside Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Fidan struck a pragmatic tone—acknowledging the deep political divisions over Turkey’s EU membership, but stressing that the current climate of overlapping crises demands functional cooperation regardless of the membership file.
“There is incredible cooperation potential, we just need to act.”
— Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister
🤝 Immediate Areas for Cooperation
Fidan’s call for action is not aspirational; he pointed to several specific areas where Turkey and the EU have shared interests and could realize immediate gains.
1. Customs Union Modernization
The EU-Turkey Customs Union, in place since 1995, covers only industrial goods and processed agricultural products, leaving out services, public procurement, and fresh agricultural goods—gaps that, if filled, could dramatically increase trade volume.
Current trade volume: Approximately $250 billion (roughly €230 billion), spread 50-50 in exports/imports between Turkey and the EU.
Potential trade volume: Fidan argued that modernizing the Customs Union could increase trade volume to $500 billion, benefiting both sides, and that even EU bureaucrats privately acknowledge this would be in the bloc’s interest.
2. Visa Liberalization
EU member states have not yet granted Turkish citizens visa-free travel, despite Turkey meeting most of the 72 EU benchmarks. Fidan has signaled that this remains a priority for Ankara in any “positive agenda” with the EU.
3. Migration Management
The 2016 EU-Turkey migration deal remains fragile, but it is a proven mechanism for reducing irregular crossings into Greece. Turkey continues to host the world’s largest refugee population (some 4 million Syrians and other nationalities). Ankara expects EU financial and logistical support to continue managing Syrian refugees on its territory, and it has warned of a new wave of migration due to instability in the Middle East.
4. Counter-Terrorism
Turkey and EU states face common threats from ISIS, PKK (designated terrorist organization by the EU), and far-right extremism. Intelligence sharing, border security, and cyber defense are natural areas for collaboration.
5. Energy and Regional Stability
As the EU seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, Turkey offers itself as a “southern energy corridor” for natural gas from Azerbaijan, the Eastern Mediterranean, and potentially even Iraqi Kurdistan. Additionally, Turkey’s role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative (brokering safe passage for Ukrainian grain) and its influence over Russia (NATO’s second-largest army) make it indispensable for managing the war in Ukraine and the escalating Middle East crisis.
In the Middle East, Turkey and EU countries are aligned on preventing a wider war between Iran and Israel, stabilizing Syria, and supporting a two-state solution for Palestine—at least in principle.
⚠️ The Political Barrier: ‘No Political Will’
Despite Fidan’s insistence on the scale of the cooperation potential, he has been blunt about the political roadblocks. At the same press conference, he reiterated that the EU as an institution “lacks the political will” to turn this potential into policy, even if Turkey meets all technical conditions.
“The problem is this: there is no political will in the European Union even if Turkey meets the conditions. This political will was killed in 2007 by Mr. Sarkozy.”
However, his “incredible cooperation potential” remark is a direct challenge to Brussels, implying that the EU is missing out on tangible economic and security benefits due to political gridlock, and that functional cooperation is not contingent on resolving the membership question—it merely requires political will in the short term.
Ankara appears to have shifted strategy from “push for membership” to “consolidate a positive agenda.” For the EU, the question is whether to reward de facto cooperation (e.g., Turkey’s role in the grain deal, migration control) without addressing the political deadlock, thereby legitimizing Ankara’s pivot away from democratic reforms as a condition of deeper integration.
📈 Why Now? The Geopolitical Push
Several factors make Fidan’s call to “act” particularly urgent in 2026:
- The Iran War: The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy markets, and the EU is seeking alternative supply routes. Turkey’s geographic position makes it a natural hub.
- Russia-Ukraine War: The conflict is grinding into its fourth year, with no end in sight. Turkey remains the only NATO country with a working line of communication to both Moscow and Kyiv.
- Migration Pressure: Instability in Syria, Afghanistan, and the Middle East threatens a new surge of migrants toward Europe. Turkey is the first filter.
- Middle East Instability: The Gaza war has calmed, but tensions remain high, and Lebanon is fragile. Turkey has influence over Hamas (which it does not designate as a terror group) and Hezbollah’s regional patrons (Iran).
- EU Institutional Transition: The European Commission is due for a transition after the 2026 EU Parliament elections, offering a potential reset in EU-Turkey relations.
Fidan’s overture is designed to catch Brussels in a moment of flux.
🧭 What Comes Next
The ball is now in the EU’s court. Ankara has signaled it will not wait indefinitely for a political solution to the membership impasse. Instead, Turkey is pursuing high-level bilateral relationships with individual European nations (Germany, France, Italy, Spain), a strategy Fidan explicitly acknowledged.
For the EU, the choice is uncomfortable: continue to freeze political relations, ceding further influence to Ankara’s bilateral partners, or find a functional framework that addresses Turkey’s concrete needs (modernized customs, visa freedom) without reopening the full membership accession process.
Fidan’s “incredible cooperation potential” is a challenge to EU institutions to move beyond rhetoric. Whether Brussels decides to act before the next crisis forces its hand remains the open question.
📋 Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Fidan’s Statement | “There is incredible cooperation potential, we just need to act.” |
| Action Areas | Customs Union modernization (€500B potential), visa liberalization, migration management, counter-terrorism, energy corridor. |
| Geopolitical Drivers | Iran war (supply routes), Russia-Ukraine war (mediation), migration (refugee hosting), Middle East (regional stability). |
| Political Barrier | Fidan says the EU lacks “political will” for Turkish membership, but urges functional cooperation regardless of status. |
| Ankara’s Shift | From accession push to “positive agenda” focus on trade, migration, counter-terrorism, and energy cooperation. |
| EU’s Dilemma | Reject functional cooperation and cede influence to individual member states, or find a pragmatic path forward without reopening membership. |
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