Yeorgiadis: Turkey Not Interested in EU Membership, Only Seeks Trade Relations

Speaking at the 10th Delphi Economic Forum in Geneva, Yeorgiadis said, “Cyprus and Greece must stand firm politically, economically, and militarily.”

According to Fileleftheros, Yeorgiadis made his remarks during a panel discussion held as part of the forum’s official dinner on Thursday. He stressed the strategic importance of the Eastern Mediterranean in ensuring the security of Israel, the stability of moderate Arab countries, safeguarding energy and trade routes, and managing migration pressures—all areas of significant geopolitical interest for both the United States and Europe.

Yeorgiadis emphasized that Cyprus has the opportunity to play a positive role as a forward post for the West in the region. He added that this role could be further strengthened if Turkey allowed and facilitated a negotiated solution to the Cyprus issue, which he claimed would create a significant “peace dividend” through increased economic and investment activity.

Describing Turkey as a "revisionist state seeking regional dominance," Yeorgiadis said that today’s Turkey is very different from the one that embarked on the EU accession process after the Helsinki Summit. He claimed that modern Turkey has no real interest in EU membership and instead acts unilaterally, driven by a sense of strength, showing no hesitation in using military power, confronting Israel, and openly supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.

He argued that while Turkey occasionally seeks improved relations with Greece to extract concessions from Europe, its fundamental stance has not changed. According to Yeorgiadis, Turkey has never backed down from its claims against Greece and Cyprus. He cited the Great Sea Interconnector electricity cable project as one example.

On the prospect of restarting Cyprus negotiations, Yeorgiadis said, “We must carefully assess the data and define our strategy to ensure that negotiations not only resume but also hold the potential for a positive outcome.”

He added that without a substantial change in Turkey’s stance toward Greece and Cyprus, Ankara should not be allowed to gain the benefits it seeks from the EU—including an upgraded Customs Union, integration into European security architecture, or the sale of warplanes. He warned that granting these while Turkey continues to block Cypriot-flagged ships and maintain a hostile policy towards Cyprus and Greece would be the EU’s biggest failure and would erode any meaningful negotiation prospects.

“Our readiness for dialogue must be consistent and part of a comprehensive strategy to counter all forms of Turkish pressure,” Yeorgiadis concluded. “Cyprus and Greece must stand firmly on their own feet politically, economically, and militarily. We must leverage our EU membership more effectively and shape EU-Turkey relations in a way that protects our rights, security, and vital interests. We should strengthen our ties with the US, Israel, and moderate Arab states in the region and continue to highlight Cyprus and Greece as key players for both Europe and the United States. Only under such conditions can we enter meaningful negotiations with Turkey that offer a real prospect of results.”

The panel was moderated by Thanos Davelis, CEO of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, and also included American analyst and American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Michael Rubin, as well as Professor Andrew Novo of the U.S. National Defense University.