By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

The European Union greatly values its ties with Turkey, said a top EU official in Ankara on Wednesday.

"We place great importance on Turkish-EU relations," said Eva Horelova, head of the political section of the European Union Delegation to Turkey.

Meeting with Hakan Cavusoglu, the head of Turkish Parliament's Human Rights Commission, in the capital Ankara, Horelova called Turkey a key country for the EU.

Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987 and its accession talks began in 2005.

But negotiations stalled in 2007 due to the objections of the Greek Cypriot administration as well as opposition from Germany and France.