Türkiye’s Fidan meets EU enlargement commissioner, renews call for deeper cooperation
Both sides emphasised closer coordination on security and regional connectivity across the Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia, including energy, transport, digitalisation and trade.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has met EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos in Ankara, as both sides underlined the need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation amid a shifting geopolitical landscape.
In a joint written statement issued after the meeting on Thursday, Fidan and Kos reaffirmed Türkiye’s EU candidate status and stressed the strategic importance of Türkiye-EU relations in enhancing regional stability and economic resilience.
Fidan emphasised that existing obstacles in bilateral relations must be overcome without delay, calling for cooperation within a more comprehensive, institutional and multi-dimensional framework.
Both sides welcomed the recent momentum in engagement and reiterated their commitment to turning dialogue into concrete outcomes.
According to the statement, progress over the past year included the holding of five high-level dialogue meetings, continued EU support for Türkiye’s efforts to host refugees under temporary protection, and steps to ease Turkish citizens’ access to multiple-entry Schengen visas.
Customs Union, rule of law and regional issues
The two sides also agreed that recent global and regional developments had further highlighted the strategic value of Türkiye-EU cooperation.
They stressed the importance of closer coordination on security and regional connectivity, particularly in the Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia, with a focus on energy, transport, digitalisation and trade.
Fidan underlined the growing urgency of updating the Customs Union, citing shifts in global trade dynamics, geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain vulnerabilities and the green and digital transitions.
Both sides agreed to continue engagement aimed at unlocking the full potential of the Customs Union to support competitiveness and economic resilience.
The statement said both parties welcomed the gradual resumption of the European Investment Bank’s activities in Türkiye and expressed their intention to strengthen cooperation on innovation-driven and sustainable projects.
Kos recalled that dialogue on the rule of law and democratic standards remains an integral part of Türkiye-EU relations.
Kos also marked the anniversary of the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023, reaffirming the EU’s solidarity, including $1.2 billion in emergency and reconstruction assistance.
Fidan, for his part, highlighted the importance of sustained Türkiye-EU solidarity for the security, stability and prosperity of Europe.