EU's Kallas stresses Türkiye's role as a strategic partner ahead of Ankara visit
BRUSSELS, Anadolu Agency

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized Türkiye's importance as a strategic partner and EU candidate country ahead of her upcoming visit to Ankara on Friday.
"It's high time to visit Türkiye, and I will do it in the first part of my mandate," Kallas told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.. She highlighted the potential for cooperation on regional security and energy issues.
Kallas stressed the mutual interest in a stable Eastern Mediterranean and the shared concern for Syria's territorial integrity. While acknowledging Türkiye's EU candidate status, she noted that the process is currently at a standstill, citing ongoing issues related to Cyprus, human rights, and the rule of law.
On European defense, Kallas advocated for better cooperation among EU member states rather than creating a separate system from NATO.
"We shouldn't duplicate what NATO already does," she said, emphasizing the natural partnership between the EU and NATO due to overlapping memberships.
Regarding Syria, Kallas expressed cautious optimism about the new administration, stating that the EU is "willing to discuss the relief of sanctions" if positive steps are taken. The Foreign Affairs Council will address this issue on Jan. 27.
"We are also willing to take a step back and put some sanctions back," she said, if the steps taken are in the wrong direction.
The EU foreign policy chief also touched on the situation in Gaza, stressing the importance of a two-state solution and the need for a balanced approach in upcoming talks with both Israeli and Palestinian representatives.
On Ukraine, Kallas highlighted Türkiye's important role in pressuring Russia to end the conflict. She also addressed the recent U.S. election, expressing readiness to cooperate with the new administration on security, defense, and economic issues.
As she prepares for her visit to Ankara on Jan. 24, Kallas reiterated the partnership between the EU and Türkiye, saying, "This is going to show that the European Union and Türkiye are partners, and we have many issues to discuss and cooperate on."
Fidan-Kallas talks
Kallas will hold talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. This will be her first trip to Ankara after she resumed her new position in the European Commission.
Talks will be focused on the Türkiye-EU ties, the ongoing Russian occupation of Ukraine, the situation in Gaza and Palestine as well as the recent developments in Syria, sources said
Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s expectation of the revival of the accession process to the EU and underline that this is the candidate country’s strategic target. To this end, the resumption of Türkiye-EU high-level dialogue and Association Council will play an important role, Fidan will tell Kallas.
He will also stress that launching talks for the modernization of the customs union without delay and achieving visa liberalization are also very critical for Türkiye-EU ties.
In light of the developments in Syria that paved the way for the collapse of the Assad regime, Fidan will also propose Kallas to renew the existing migration cooperation between Ankara and Brussels by taking the new realities in the field into consideration.
The minister will also repeat his call on the EU to lift the sanctions on Syria while expressing Ankara’s readiness to cooperate with Brussels for the reconstruction of the war-torn country.