The European Commission's top representative in Türkiye, Hansjoerg Kretschmer, said he was troubled by a drop in domestic backing for EU membership, speaking at a press conference in Ankara. A recent Eurobarometer survey found that only 44 percent of Türkiye's population now supports accession, a figure Kretschmer acknowledged is common among candidate states but worrying given how early Türkiye is in formal negotiations.
Kretschmer attributed the decline partly to a communication gap inside Türkiye, arguing that citizens have not yet felt the practical benefits of the reform process. He urged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the government to stay the course, be transparent with the public, and push through fundamental changes needed for membership.
The envoy stressed that both Türkiye and the EU stand to gain from a successful accession process, and said he remains confident the negotiations will not ultimately collapse. He acknowledged that delays are possible along the way.
Kretschmer also called on Ankara to fulfill its commitments under the additional protocol to the Customs Union agreement, and said Brussels would welcome passage of a ninth reform package before the release of the EU's next progress report on Türkiye.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in July 2006, in its own words.