Erdogan Sees Turkey's Future in Europe

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has held discussions with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

According to the TASS news agency, citing the Turkish president's office, the negotiations focused on the bilateral development of relations between Turkey and the EU, as well as regional events. Erdogan stated during the talks that the EU holds a priority place on Turkey's agenda. He also conveyed that he envisions Turkey's future in Europe.

The president highlighted the necessity of revising the Customs Union, ensuring a visa-free regime for Turkish citizens, and making progress in negotiations regarding Turkey's EU membership. According to him, “it is essential to restore mutual trust, reinstate the consultation mechanism, and put an end to discriminatory actions and rhetoric directed at Turkey.”

Turkey has been an associate member of the EU since 1964 and applied for membership in 1987. In 2017, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on EU countries and the European Commission to halt negotiations regarding Turkey’s accession until constitutional changes were made by the country's authorities.