The EU has a strategic interest in stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean and in maintaining a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Türkiye.

A stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean requires unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations, to international agreements and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the United Nations Charter as well as abstaining from unilateral actions that violate international law and the sovereign rights of Member States.

Türkiye is a candidate country and a key EU partner. In the 2024 enlargement report[1], the Commission emphasised that Türkiye must avoid actions that damage good neighbourly relations and respect the sovereignty of all Member States and their sovereign rights.

This includes the right to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with EU and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In its Council Conclusions of December 2024[2], the EU noted the improvements in relations between Greece and Türkiye and expressed its expectations that these improvements will be sustained.

Last updated: 3 July 2025