EU’s top diplomat suggests working hand in hand with Turkey to address problems

The European Union's high representative for foreign and security policies, Josep Borrell, has suggested to work with Turkey in addressing common challenges stemming from regional conflicts, as he met with Turkey's defense and interior minister late March 3.

In a separate context, European Council President Charles Michel also arrived in Ankara for talks to overcome the ongoing refugee problem on the Turkish-Greek border.
Michel will talk to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"Pressure and unilateral action are not an answer. We need to work hand in hand to address common challenges, for the benefit of both Turkey and the EU," Borrell said on Twitter after a meeting with Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu in Ankara.
EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Larencic was also present at the meeting.

Borrell also met Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and discussed the recent developments in the Idlib province of Syria where 34 Turkish troops were killed in an attack by the regime forces late last week.

"Humanitarian situation in Idlib is of extreme gravity. Need to promote de-escalation and have an in-depth discussion with Turkey on security and defense challenges," the EU's representative said on Twitter.

The Foreign Affairs Council will meet in an extraordinary session on March 6 a day after the informal ministerial discussions on Syrian and Turkey in Croatia, he stated.