Concluding his six-day visit to Turkey, the European Parliament rapporteur for Turkey, Nacho Sánchez Amor, held a press conference at the EU Delegation's office in Ankara on Friday.

Preparing his annual report on Turkey, the rapporteur held meetings with several officials, politicians and NGOs. He will present the report to the Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament on February 28.

While the atmosphere between the EU and Turkey is "more positive" than his first fact-finding mission to Turkey in January 2020, Turkey's lack of progress in rule of law and human rights remains the "main obstacle to a positive agenda," Amor said.

Turkey's reluctance to implement the ECtHR decisions for the release of businessperson and rights advocate Osman Kavala and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş affects the country's image negatively, he noted.

"The case of Osman Kavala is a representative example of this continuing problem," he said. "I criticized yet again the failure of Turkish authorities to respect their own legal system by their non-compliance with the European Court of Human Rights rulings."

Customs union and human rights

"The Turkish people are currently suffering a very challenging economic situation. Given the high level of economic integration between Turkey and the EU, a number of Turkish counterparts expressed the urgency of upgrading the Customs Union.

"In this context, I support exploring every avenue that can bring concrete benefits to citizens in Turkey and the EU. Provided some progress can be made on currently existing problems in our trade relations, there should be no other preconditions to entering into talks.

"However, all parties should bear in mind from the very beginning that without improvements in respect for the rule of law and human rights, the European Parliament will not give its final consent to an upgraded Customs Union."

Pro-European stance

"During my visit, I was able to hold meetings with various political parties and take the temperature of the current political climate. I am particularly pleased to have been reassured of the pro-European stance of all major political parties in Turkey, including the governing party.

"Finally, in view of Russian military aggression in Ukraine, I welcomed and expressed our strong appreciation for the clear support of the Turkish authorities for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in various meetings.

"In the difficult times ahead, I would like to stress the importance of strong EU-Turkey cooperation in foreign and security policy."