Türkiye has rejected the European Commission's 2026 report on the country, accusing the European Union of maintaining a prejudiced and unfair approach towards Ankara and applying double standards in its assessments.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the report, published as part of the EU's 2026 Enlargement Package, contained unfounded allegations concerning political criteria, the judiciary and fundamental rights.

"We reject the unfounded allegations contained in the report, particularly those concerning the political criteria, judiciary and fundamental rights," the ministry said, describing the assessments as evidence of "a mindset that is inconsistent and has lost its credibility."

The ministry also criticised the report for endorsing what it described as the maximalist positions of Greece and the Greek Cypriot Administration, while disregarding the legitimate rights and interests of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

It argued that the EU could not play a meaningful role in efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue as long as it continued to unconditionally support the Greek Cypriot side.

Addressing the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara said the report's assessments were contrary to international law and the principle of equity. It also rejected the report's remarks on the memorandum of understanding signed between Türkiye and Libya, describing them as lacking any legal basis.

However, the ministry welcomed the report's positive assessments of Türkiye's economic and monetary policies, the functioning of its market economy and its ability to withstand competitive pressures within the EU.

It also highlighted references to Türkiye's contributions to connectivity, supply and value chain resilience, defence and security, saying these findings reinforced Ankara's expectations for the modernisation of the Türkiye-EU Customs Union.

"Türkiye-EU relations should be shaped on the basis of shared interests and a long-term vision, transcending narrow political considerations and one-sided approaches," the statement said.

Reaffirming Ankara's readiness to advance ties under the Türkiye-EU Association Law and the principle of pacta sunt servanda — the obligation to honour agreements — the ministry called for relations based on mutual trust, respect and fairness.

It also urged the EU to demonstrate the political will needed to strengthen bilateral ties, translating the recently intensified dialogue into concrete steps that would reinforce Türkiye's prospect of EU membership. (ILKHA)