Does Turkey Want to Open a Fresh Chapter With The EU? Published May 10th, 2021 - 07:13 GMT Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2014. (photo credit: AFP/Adem Altan) Highlights Erosion of liberties, disputes with Cyprus and Greece mean membership still some way off Since the approval of its candidacy to EU membership in 1999, Turkish relations with Brussels have been strained, exacerbated by Turkey’s controversial moves in the eastern Mediterranean and concerns over its ongoing democratic issues. Also Read Now, though, Turkey wants to begin a new era with the EU, despite recent diplomatic gaffes, such as the Sofagate crisis, when Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, was not given a seat next to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during her high-profile visit to Ankara.