European Union–Turkey relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Feb. 8 discussed bilateral ties, regional issues, and Turkey-EU relations via video link.

The two leaders also discussed issues that would improve cooperation between the two countries, according to a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate.

The European Union welcomes the Turkish government's recently announced reform agenda, a senior diplomat said on Feb. 4 while visiting Turkey's central province of Kayseri. 

Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder stated in his latest book "Letzte Chance" (The Last Chance) that Turkey has become an "incontrovertible dominant force" in the eastern Mediterranean.

Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament and a Member of the European Parliament since 2004, joins The Greek Current to discuss the EU-Turkey relationship and where it is heading, his view on the talks between Greece and Turkey and the need for Ankara to take concrete steps to show it is serious about conflict resolution, and more. 

Turkey expects Greece to take a positive stance in recently restarted exploratory talks meant to resolve several bilateral issues, a ruling party official said on Jan. 26. 

The U.S. and the EU welcomed on Jan. 25 the first round of talks between Greece and Turkey in nearly five years that are intended to resolve energy and border disputes in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean.

A positive agenda adopted by the EU Council in December is in the mutual interest of both Turkey and the European Union, the German envoy in Ankara has said, stressing that Brussels was open and ready for talks with Turkey to develop relations further and resolve existing conflicts.

Turkey and Greece resumed talks aimed at addressing long-standing maritime disputes on Monday, diplomatic sources said, after months of tension in the eastern Mediterranean.

The neighboring countries, which are both members of the NATO military alliance, made little progress in 60 rounds of talks from 2002 to 2016.

Turkey's top diplomat has called on the European Union to revitalize the accession process of his country to the EU, to launch the process for visa-free travel of Turkish nationals in the EU and start talks for upgrading the Customs Union agreement.

Turkey and the European Union were set to discuss the renewal of a 2016 migration agreement during a meeting late on Jan. 21, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said ahead of the meeting.