Top EU officials seek improved ties, positive agenda in meeting with Erdogan
Focusing on economic cooperation, migration and human rights, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel sought to improve EU-Turkey ties during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on April 6.
ISTANBUL — In a rare visit to Ankara on April 6, top European officials sought to improve troubled EU-Turkey relations through a positive but conditional agenda in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel outlined a dual framework, which, if sustained, offers incentives that would increase trade and cooperation on migration between the EU and Turkey, though both officials highlighted concerns regarding domestic human rights developments.
The framework expands on a positive agenda set last month during a European Council summit based primarily on de-escalation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Michel called Tuesday for continued efforts to resolve maritime boundary disputes between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus over natural gas rights in the region, which have largely subsided since Ankara pulled back energy prospecting vessels from contested waters late last year.
“Our engagement is progressive, proportional and reversible, and we hope Turkey will seize this window of opportunity,” Michel told reporters Tuesday.
