Key European MEPs pay visit to Turkish Parliament

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

The head of the Turkey-EP joint parliamentary commission on Friday received members of the European Parliament's (EP) Turkey Forum in the capital Ankara.

Speaking to reporters in parliament, Ismail Emrah Karayel said that he sees the visit as important amid recent “ups and downs” in Turkish-EU relations.

"I’m sure this visit will positively affect Turkey-EU relations as well as relations between the Turkish and European parliaments," he said.

The MEPs' visit coincided with a visit to Ankara by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, the commissioner for enlargement.

Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community -- a precursor to the EU -- in 1987. It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005.

In recent years Turkey has complained of the EU refusing to open chapters in its accession negotiations for political -- not substantive -- reasons.

Ankara has also faulted the EU for failing to uphold its end of the March 2016 refugee deal, including visa liberalization for Turkish citizens and the delivery of a promised multibillion-euro aid package for Syrian refugees in Turkey.