Ankara wants unconditional start of customs union talks with EU

Türkiye calls on the European Union to unconditionally start talks for the modernization of the customs union while expressing its discomfort about the postponement of the approval of a key report that draws a road map for the future ties between Ankara and Brussels at the latest EU Council summit.

"We are expecting the start of technical talks for the modernization of the customs union without any pre-conditions and we want the EU Council to give necessary authorization to the European Commission to this end," diplomatic sources told the Hürriyet Daily News on Dec. 18 in Ankara.

Türkiye and the EU implemented a 1996-dated customs union agreement and they are yet to start to negotiate to expand its scope and modernize it in accordance with the current trends in global trade.

The EU has been delaying the launch of joint efforts due to political reasons. Brussels has once again delayed discussing the modernization of the customs union although a report penned by Josep Borrell, the high representative on security and foreign policy of the European Commission, calls on a start to these talks.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has expressed Ankara's concerns and disturbance on the postponement of the report's approval to Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi in a phone conversation late on Dec. 17, the diplomatic sources informed.

The next EU Council will be held in March but it is not sure that the report will fully be confirmed at that meeting.

On Borrell's report, sources said it was constituting a first step for the improvement of ties between the two parties and called on the relevant EU institutions to get into action in line with the content of the report.

 Unconditional talks

The sources...