The European Union is moving to deepen ties with Turkey, which it views as key to regional stability in a shifting geopolitical landscape, advancing cooperation on foreign policy, connectivity, trade and migration.
On Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos travelled to Turkey to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, followed by talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. EU officials dubbed the trip a "jumbo meeting."
"Türkiye is a key partner on security, migration, and energy, as well as an EU candidate country," Kallas posted on X after meeting Erdoğan, adding that the country "is making a significant contribution to protecting NATO's eastern flank."
The visit came just a week before a critical NATO summit in Ankara, but the focus stayed on EU-Turkey bilateral relations – a standing format with a candidate country whose accession process has stalled since it was formally launched in 2005.
On foreign policy, talks centred on the Middle East, with both sides seeking alignment on Iran, Syria and Gaza, as well as Africa and the South Caucasus.
