British Envoy Confident Türkiye Will Reach EU Membership

British Ambassador to Türkiye Nicholas Baird said Monday that Türkiye's path to EU membership, while lengthy and challenging, will ultimately succeed. He spoke at the launch of a joint project on multi-agency cooperation tied to the Lisbon Agenda, organized by the British Embassy in Ankara alongside TOBB University and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Türkiye (TEPAV).

Baird noted that by the time Türkiye joins the bloc, both Türkiye and the EU itself will have changed considerably. He described the Lisbon Agenda as a key force driving that transformation.

Also addressing the event, Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), called for a broad new reform strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of Turkish businesses and sustain economic growth. He urged that such reforms be carried out without delay.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in February 2007, in its own words.