Assita Kanko advocates “businesslike neighbourliness” with Turkey

“Erdogan’s Turkey cannot be a close and faithful ally of Europe. Our values are diverging too much.” In the plenary session of the European Parliament, Assita Kanko advocated a thorough review of European relations with Turkey. She is calling for “businesslike neighbourliness”. “We don’t have to be friends, because with a ‘friend’ like Turkey, you don’t even need enemies any more.”

In her intervention, Assita Kanko referred to the numerous incidents and events of recent months and years. “Gas drilling in Cypriot waters, sabre-rattling in the Eastern Mediterranean, the destruction of Christian communities, the purchase of Russian S400 missile systems, threatening French naval vessels, transferring Jihadist fighters from Syria to Libya, blackmailing Europe by threatening to send hundreds of thousands of migrants... the list is a long one. My question is: with friends like that, who needs enemies?”

Turkey is not a trusted ally

According to Assita Kanko, the past few months have shown that Turkey under Erdogan cannot be a close and trusted ally of Europe. “This is the behaviour of an autocrat. And we can’t keep entertaining autocrats one day and claiming the next day that we are a continent based on democratic values.”

Turkish values and interests are not compatible with those of the EU

The N-VA MEP states that it is time to admit that the current framework for talks with Turkey - the membership of our Union - is completely unrealistic. “It is time for a fundamental strategic reappraisal of EU-Turkey relations. We can have a relationship based on trade, but we must not be naive: our values and also our interests are not compatible. They’re diverging.”

Turkey has to be a better neighbour

Friends don’t behave the way this Turkey has, Assita Kanko says. “So if we can’t be friends, let’s take the Turkish approach and base our relationship on a business understanding. Maybe we can’t be friends, but Turkey will have to be a better neighbour,” Assita Kanko concludes.