Khalifa Erdogan claims only Türkiye can rescue the European Union
Türkiye is a major economic player, with a GDP of over $1 trillion and is strategically located linking Europe, Asia through the Middle East. It is also an NATO ally, playing a role in regional security of Middle East.
Erdogan the Turkish President has dreams of becoming the Khalifa of the Islamic World but has been bidding to join the European Union for a long time.
However hid has been marred by longstanding concerns over human rights, democratic governance, and unresolved geopolitical issues such as Cyprus. He has also been yelping a bit too much against India over Kashmir.
Türkiye’s EU accession journey has been long. It first applied to join the bloc in 1987 and was granted candidate status in 1999. Formal negotiations began in 2005, but progress has been slow, with numerous political and structural roadblocks.
Self styled Khalifa has once again reiterated his long-standing desire to become a full member of the European Union, asserting that Türkiye is the only force capable of rescuing the bloc from its looming decline from struggling economy, reduced workforce, and political standing.
There is of course increasing political turbulence within the EU. With the rise of right-wing movements, economic stagnation, and a rapidly aging population.
However, despite Erdogan’s whining Türkiye’s accession to the EU remains a distant prospect, with negotiations essentially stalled since 2016.
Khalifa keeps highlighting the demographic advantage that Türkiye possesses, with a young and dynamic workforce, in contrast to Europe’s rapidly aging population.
He emphasizes that if the EU displayed the necessary political will, the accession process could be reinvigorated and swiftly concluded.
Erdogan also took the opportunity to critique the EU’s internal political struggles. He warned that the ideological vacuum in European politics is being filled by “far-right demagogues,” referencing the growing success of nationalist and anti-immigration parties across the continent.
Indeed, the past decade has seen a steady rise of right-wing forces in Europe, exacerbated by increasing migration and economic anxieties.
In Germany, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured 20.8% of the vote in recent federal elections, making it the second-largest party in the Bundestag.
France has also witnessed the growing popularity of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, while Italy and the Netherlands have seen right-wing parties gaining ground.
Erdogan expressed concern that this shift in political sentiment could pose risks not only to Turkish citizens living in Europe but also to broader Muslim communities.
“We are closely monitoring the situation to ensure that right-wing forces do not threaten Turkish citizens or other Muslim communities in the bloc,” he said.
However the EU has repeatedly criticized Ankara for cracking down on press freedom, curtailing judicial independence, and suppressing opposition parties.
In 2018, the European Commission stated that Türkiye was “moving further away from the European Union,” effectively bringing accession talks to a standstill.
A major obstacle is the unresolved Cyprus dispute. The EU has long demanded that Türkiye recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, as part of its accession criteria.
However, Ankara continues to support the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a self-declared state that is only recognized by Türkiye. This ongoing conflict has further soured EU-Türkiye relations.
Also EU Union is very eager to conclude a FTA with India where this often “ vomit “ of Erdogan over Kashmir will deny this FTA to EU. Thus prospect of Türkiye’s accession seems more uncertain than ever.
Erdogan’s assertive foreign policy, including military interventions in Syria and Libya, and his confrontations with EU members such as Greece and France, have strained diplomatic relations. His poking his nose into internal affairs of India will surely going to cost a lot.
His decision to strengthen ties with Russia and China has also raised concerns in Brussels about Türkiye’s strategic orientation.
Thus Erdogan’s rhetoric is unlikely to sway EU leaders, many of whom remain skeptical about Türkiye’s commitment to European values and know that he dreams of becoming the Khalifa too.
