The European Commission's 2026 Türkiye Report recognizes Ankara's growing strategic, economic and defense importance to the EU while reiterating concerns over democratic standards and the continued deadlock in accession negotiations.
The report underlined that Türkiye is an EU candidate country and an important partner, saying that the country "as a close neighbour in a crucial geostrategic location, plays an important role in European security and the cross-regional connectivity agenda."
"Growing geopolitical challenges have highlighted Türkiye's strategic regional role, particularly in relation to developments in Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, the wider Middle East and the South Caucasus," it added.
The report noted that the EU and Türkiye continued to re-engage in areas of common interest, adding that Türkiye had established institutional arrangements to coordinate its accession process.
However, it reiterated that accession negotiations had remained at a standstill since 2018, claiming that the EU's serious concerns over the deterioration of democratic standards, the rule of law, judicial independence and respect for fundamental rights remained unaddressed.
The report recalled that particular importance was attached to the resumption of negotiations on a settlement of the Cyprus issue and to making progress in this regard in order to further develop EU-Türkiye cooperation.
The report pointed out that Türkiye is currently facing various hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, artificial intelligence-supported disinformation campaigns, security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and the possible manipulation of migration flows.
"Türkiye continued to implement an active and multi-layered foreign policy, balancing its relations with key geopolitical actors and pursuing mediation and diplomatic efforts, while striving for strategic autonomy. Increasing geopolitical shifts have underscored Türkiye's growing strategic regional role and highlighted the shared interest and responsibility of the EU and Türkiye in addressing common challenges," the report said.
- RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA, US, MIDDLE EAST
Recalling that Türkiye continued to play a facilitating and potential mediating role in the Russia-Ukraine war in 2025, the report noted that Türkiye's relations with Ukraine remained strategically important and that numerous high-level contacts had taken place.
At the same time, the report noted that Türkiye also maintained close relations with Russia through high-level contacts, regular consultations and strong economic ties.
Regarding Türkiye's relations with the US, the report said that Ankara "remained both an important and a challenging partner," with high-level contacts continuing, including within the NATO framework.
The report stated that Türkiye had also adopted a balanced stance in the Middle East and pursued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and end the conflict.
"Cooperation with the Gulf states has been most visible on Gaza and Syria's stabilisation and reconstruction. The Middle East conflict also nurtured Türkiye's connectivity strategy toward the Gulf, motivated by Turkish ambition to become the main land bridge between the Gulf and Europe," it said.
The report noted that relations with Israel continued to "deteriorate," while Türkiye strongly advocated for the recognition of Palestine and continued to provide substantial humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
The report stated that Türkiye continued to be a key actor in Libya, advocating stability and supporting efforts to revive the UN-facilitated political process.
It reiterated its criticism of the 2019 memorandum of understanding between Türkiye and Libya, claiming that the memorandum violated the sovereign rights of third states.
- ECONOMY
On the economic front, the commission said Türkiye had made some progress toward establishing a functioning market economy, describing its industrial base and economic diversification as important strengths.
"Türkiye is well advanced in establishing a functioning market economy and has made some progress over the reporting period," it said, adding that the Central Bank of Türkiye had made progress in restoring its credibility and reporting that the current account deficit remained moderate.
The report also highlighted Türkiye's importance in European supply chains, particularly in machinery, textiles, transport equipment and critical raw materials.
It stated that the EU continued its contacts with Türkiye to address the functioning of the Customs Union and that progress had been made in reducing trade barriers since 2021.
- DEFENSE
Regarding defense, the commission noted significant growth in Türkiye's defense industry in terms of production and exports, adding that Turkish companies were increasingly seeking opportunities in EU markets through joint production facilities and cooperation projects.
"Türkiye continues to maintain the second largest army in NATO, while over recent years, its defense industry has seen a significant increase in both production and exports. As a result, the country has become an important arms supplier, with Ukraine as one of its principal arms export markets. The Middle East crisis has also triggered expanded defence cooperation with the Gulf countries," it said.
The report recalled that Türkiye's domestic production covered critical areas such as artillery and rocket ammunition, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface vessels, armored personnel carriers and electronic warfare systems.
"The sector's growth could contribute to Türkiye's strategic objective of strengthening its domestic industry while expanding exports, particularly to emerging markets, reducing its reliance on external suppliers, and leveraging arms export to forge new international partnerships," the report said.
