Turkey–European Union relations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Turkey on Oct. 16 to discuss bilateral relations and international issues, her spokesman said on Oct. 8.

Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Steffen Seibert said Merkel will visit Istanbul for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Turkey and Germany have a unique relationship thanks to the contributions of Turkish migrants since the 1960s, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said, reiterating that Turkey is a strategic partner of Germany in terms of its political weight.

Europeans must honor their commitments to Turkey as part of a migration deal signed in 2016, the Greek minister for migration and asylum said on Oct. 4. 

Notis Mitarachi said the EU-Turkey migration deal must be implemented by both sides to manage the refugee flows and stem illegal trafficking in the Aegean Sea.

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Faruk Kaymakcı on Sept. 29 praised Germany's contribution to the advancement of relations between Turkey and the European Union. 

Addressing a webinar on Turkish-German relations and prospects for the post-Merkel era, Kaymakcı drew attention to the special ties between the two countries.

Greece's prime minister said on Sept. 27 that he has no intention to enter into an arms race with Turkey. 

The European Union must work with Turkey for the stability of the region and beyond, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sept. 23 after meeting a senior EU official.

The top diplomat met with Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The European Commission's executive vice president for the European Green Deal and Turkish minister of environment and urbanization on Sept. 16 held the first EU-Turkey high-level dialogue on climate change.

The officials discussed the necessary steps to fight the devastating effects of climate change and to significantly cut emissions by 2050.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call on Sept. 8 with the Italian prime minister, saying Turkey expects Italy, a NATO ally, to respond appropriately to the importance it attaches to bilateral relations. 

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The EU's neighborhood and enlargement commissioner on Sept. 7 met with Turkish officials to discuss migration and regional issues.

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Oliver Varhelyi and Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın met in the capital Ankara, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency.

EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi is paying his first visit to Turkey on Sept. 6-7.

The commissioner had a meeting with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

They discussed Turkey-EU relations in detail, Çavuşoğlu tweeted after the meeting.