High-level EU delegation to visit Ankara for key talks

BRUSSELS

Türkiye will host a high-level three-member delegation from the European Union, including the bloc’s top diplomat, on June 30, just days before a NATO summit in the capital Ankara, Turkish media reported on June 28.

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner are scheduled to hold talks in Ankara on June 30.

The delegation is expected to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

The talks are expected to function as an informal, de facto High-Level Political Dialogue, potentially even exceeding that in impact.

Discussions are likely to span a wide range of issues, from the Middle East and Ukraine to connectivity, EU enlargement, migration and visa liberalization.

The visit is widely interpreted as an important step toward Türkiye, which the EU views as a crucial partner for cooperation across multiple policy areas. Ankara also attaches considerable importance to engagement.

The bloc has recently adopted a broader approach to relations with Türkiye, despite tensions triggered by the European Parliament’s latest report on the country. In a shifting geopolitical environment, the EU increasingly acknowledges the need for cooperation with Ankara on shared challenges, while seeking deeper engagement in areas of mutual interest.

Although the accession process, centered on human rights, democracy and the rule of law, has effectively stalled, the EU continues to pursue an alternative track to maintain engagement with Türkiye and avoid a complete breakdown in ties.

Türkiye, for its part, views relations with the EU as strategically important and advocates for a constructive framework based on shared interests.