EU faces billion-euro dilemma amid Turkiye crisis

The European Union (EU) is facing mounting criticism over its continued financial support for Turkiye as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government intensifies its crackdown on political opponents, Reuters reports.

According to the report, despite renewed calls for Ankara to respect democratic norms, Brussels appears set to maintain multi-billion-euro funding to its strategically vital neighbour.

Over the weekend, the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu sparked fresh outrage across Europe, prompting a sharp warning from the European Commission urging Turkiye to: “Uphold democratic values and the rule of law.” Yet, the bloc’s ability—or willingness—to respond with meaningful action remains limited.

“As far as the Turkish leader is concerned, ‘whatever he does, the EU will have to tag along with it,’” said Dimitar Bechev, a lecturer at the University of Oxford and expert on EU-Turkiye relations.

EU funding continues to flow under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) and migration cooperation frameworks.

Analysts believe the bloc is caught in a dilemma, while Erdoğan’s actions defy European democratic standards. Turkiye’s role in regional migration control, energy transit and North Atlantic Treaty Organization security renders it too critical to alienate.

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