Türkiye’s FM Blames Identity Politics for EU's Current Crisis

In an interview at Davos with Bloomberg’s On the Record, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan offered a pointed critique of Europe’s strategic trajectory, arguing that identity politics—rather than technical benchmark now underpin Türkiye’s stalled bid for European Union membership, while regional countries are increasingly being driven toward rival global powers.

The core thesis was structural: Europe built a supranational system, he said, but failed to become a truly civilizational umbrella, leaving Türkiye outside and weakening the continent’s security architecture at a moment of accelerating great-power rivalry.

Fidan stated plainly, “As long as the European Union continues to pursue identity politics toward Türkiye, I don’t think Türkiye will ever become a member of the EU.” He added that when it comes to Türkiye, Brussels “follows identity politics, seeing us as belonging to a different religion and a different civilization.”

Fidan traced the inflection point to 2007, noting that until then, France and Germany had supported Türkiye’s accession provided standards were met. That shifted when Nicolas Sarkozy took office in Paris and, in Fidan’s account, embraced civilizational framing: “He adopted identity politics and said, ‘We are Christian Europe,’ and therefore he did not want Türkiye to become part of the European Union.”

“Our Own Center of Gravity”

Fidan linked that political turn to Europe’s current fragility, arguing that if Türkiye had been part of the EU, Brexit would not have happened, while “Europe would have been much more resilient in the face of today’s challenges.”

He extended the logic to the United Kingdom, saying that if both London and Ankara had been inside the bloc, Europe would have created its own “center of gravity,” rather than drifting toward other powers like America, China, or Russia.

Trans-Atlantic Security

On transatlantic security, Fidan observed that Europe long relied on U.S. protection and is now scrambling for an independent architecture. He framed Türkiye and the UK, positioned on Europe’s eastern and western flanks, as natural strategic partners. Economically, he emphasized that EU-Türkiye trade stands at $230 billion, split without a deficit on either side, while warning that commercial integration has not been matched by security integration.

He also welcomed what he described as a U.S. course correction on arming groups hostile to NATO allies, referencing policies dating back to more than a decade.

Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent Greenland remarks, Fidan said that “many people slept comfortably” after Trump’s latest speech, signaling Ankara’s preference for de-escalation amid widening geopolitical competition.

“States Building Platforms”

Beyond the EU debate, Fidan outlined Ankara’s preference for regional ownership over external tutelage. Rejecting imperial framings, he said, “We are not talking about an Ottoman Empire,” adding that today’s aim is nation-states building platforms to manage economic, political, security, and terrorism-related challenges. Waiting for a hegemon, he warned, rarely produces outcomes aligned with local interests.

“Türkiye’s 4 Benchmarks for Syria”

On his account of Syria’s transition. Fidan said that after Bashar al-Assad fled, regional states met first in Amman and then Cairo, later joined by Europeans and Americans, to set conditions for Damascus. Ankara conveyed four benchmarks to Syria’s new leadership: no threats to neighbors, no ties to terrorist groups, protection for minorities, and respect for Syria’s unity. According to Fidan, Ahmed al-Sharaa accepted those terms, and “so far everyone is reasonably satisfied with his performance.”

On Kurdish representation, Fidan criticized international portrayals of YPG as sole spokesmen, noting the PKK had forced more than 12 political parties into exile. He recalled that between 2010 to 2011, while heading Türkiye’s intelligence service (MIT), he carried then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s request to Assad to grant citizenship to Kurds, an appeal that went unanswered. More than 10 years later, Ankara says Damascus is now attempting to correct that legacy.

Iran, Security, and Economic Interdependence

Fidan also cautioned Washington against coercive approaches to Tehran. He said he does not believe events in Iran will lead to regime change and advised U.S. officials: “don’t make this another Venezuela.”

Iran, he argued, is open to talks if approached correctly; but if cornered, it will prepare for “worst-case scenarios”.