Turkish foreign minister plans to attend EU meeting in Brussels, spokesperson says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting of European Union ministers in Brussels next week that Ankara hopes will pave the way for improved ties with the bloc, the ministry’s spokesperson said on Thursday.

EU candidate Turkey’s ties with the bloc have been rocky in recent years. Its bid to join the EU has long been frozen due to EU concerns over its record on human rights and differences over regional policies, namely in the eastern Mediterranean and over the ethnically-split island of Cyprus. However, the bloc depends on NATO member Turkey’s help, particularly on migration.

During tensions between EU-member Greece and Turkey in 2019, Brussels threatened sanctions against Ankara and cut off certain dialogue channels. Ties have improved since 2021 with high-level talks restarting.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Fidan had been invited to attend the meeting on Aug. 29, which Ankara hoped would form the basis to overcome the “deadlock” from 2019, adding it showed the EU recognized the need to improve ties too.

“We welcome this invitation. We evaluate it as a search for dialogue from the EU,” Keceli said, adding that cooperation and dialogue with the bloc must be on a “continuous and systematic” basis and strengthened in a “sustainable and predictable” way to improve ties.

He added the bloc’s positive approach should not be limited to such meetings, saying Ankara expected “concrete steps” on the issues of its accession, visa liberalization for Turks, talks to modernize a customs union with the EU, and on deepening dialogue on economic, political, transportation, and energy matters.

Turkey has good ties with Hungary, which took over the EU’s rotating presidency on July 1, and has previously said it hopes Budapest’s presidency will yield progress on these issues. [Reuters]