Muhammed Enes Calli
30 October 2023•Update: 30 October 2023
ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday received Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X.
Fidan also met with the ambassadors of EU member states in the capital Ankara, it added.
During the meeting, Fidan said Türkiye's priority is updating the Customs Union and ensuring visa liberalization, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
For relations to be revitalized, during Türkiye's membership process the EU must act in accordance with the "principle of keeping pacts," Fidan said, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
"We have demonstrated our determination in this regard. We value the positive messages from the EU, but they need to be put into practice."
Dialogue and cooperation mechanisms between Türkiye and the EU need to be made more "functional," Fidan stressed.
"The obstacles delaying our citizens' visa applications should be removed immediately, and we expect the issued visas to be multiple-entry and long-term," he said, referring to a problem that has led to many public complaints in recent months.
He said Turkish participation in the EU's green and digital transformation efforts will boost the EU's chances of success in these areas and deepen economic cooperation between the bloc and Türkiye.
On the March 2016 refugee deal between Türkiye and the EU, Fidan said EU must fulfill the requirements of the agreement and share a greater burden in the fight against irregular migration.
"We need to have stronger cooperation in the fight against terrorism," Fidan said.
