Turkish foreign minister to meet EU foreign policy chief in Ankara

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to meet EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the capital Ankara on Friday, marking her first visit to Türkiye since she took office last December.

Discussions will focus on Turkish-EU relations, identifying areas for progress, and addressing critical regional developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in Gaza and Palestine, and the stability and reconstruction of Syria.

Cooperation on energy, regional security, and migration will also be on the agenda.

Fidan is expected to reiterate Ankara’s strategic goal of EU membership and highlight the importance of reviving the accession process, which has been stalled by political hurdles in recent years.

He will underline the significance of convening the Türkiye-EU Association Council and High-Level Dialogue meetings, along with starting negotiations to update the Customs Union.

Additionally, he will stress the need to modernize migration cooperation based on equitable burden-sharing and finalize the visa liberalization dialogue.

He is also likely to call for EU steps against terrorism and express Türkiye’s readiness to cooperate in Syria’s reconstruction.

Fidan will further renew calls for lifting sanctions on Syria and propose joint initiatives to ensure the safe, voluntary, and orderly return of Syrian refugees.

On Gaza, he will stress the importance of Israel abiding by the ceasefire and reiterate Ankara’s call for a two-state solution.

The meeting follows prior engagements between Fidan and Kallas, including their first interaction at last December’s NATO foreign ministers meeting, and subsequent discussions on Syria during meetings in Aqaba and Riyadh.

Türkiye-EU relations saw positive momentum in 2024, with milestones including Türkiye’s participation in the EU foreign ministers’ informal meeting in August and the inaugural Türkiye-EU High-Level Trade Dialogue in July.

This progress was further affirmed during recent visits by EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in December.

*Writing by Merve Berker