Senior European Union officials have called for closer cooperation with Türkiye after talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, citing security, migration, energy and regional stability.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after the meeting that Türkiye was “a key partner on security, migration, and energy,” while also pointing to its status as an EU candidate country.
Kallas said the talks focused on ways to further strengthen EU-Türkiye relations and the importance of good-neighborly relations.
“We also addressed Russia's war against Ukraine, the conflicts in the Middle East, and preparations for the NATO Summit in Ankara. Türkiye is making a significant contribution to protecting NATO’s Eastern Flank,” she wrote on X.
EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, who joined Kallas and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos during the visit, said security and migration cooperation remained a top priority.
“The current geopolitical situation highlighted that we face common challenges and we need to work together,” Brunner said on X.
Kos also said closer cooperation between Brussels and Ankara could support trade, investment and transport, energy and digital connectivity between Europe and Asia.
“We have much to gain from working more closely with Türkiye,” she said, adding that cooperation could bring greater predictability and support regional stability.
In a joint statement, the sides reaffirmed “the strategic value of Türkiye-EU relations” and said they were determined to take steps to deepen a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship.
They also reiterated support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, voiced support for efforts by the U.N. secretary-general on the Cyprus issue and agreed to coordinate Turkish and EU efforts in the South Caucasus.
The statement said the two sides would continue efforts to modernize the Customs Union, strengthen cooperation on migration and border management and welcomed the gradual resumption of the European Investment Bank’s operations in Türkiye.
They also agreed to hold new rounds of high-level dialogue before the end of the year on the economy, trade, migration, security, health, science and agriculture.
