Erdoğan expresses hope for improved relations with EU

 Photo: AA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated Turkey's desire to revitalize the EU membership process.

During a press conference held after yesterday's cabinet meeting, Erdoğan expressed optimism about recent discussions with European countries, saying, "We aim to make progress in key areas such as completing the full membership process with the European Union and achieving advancements in the Customs Union and visa-free travel for our citizens."

Turkey's negotiations for full EU membership have been at a standstill since 2016. A few weeks ago, Erdoğan signaled a change in stance, linking Turkey's support for Sweden's NATO membership to the progress of its EU membership negotiations.

At the NATO leaders summit on July 11-12, Erdoğan supported Sweden's membership application and agreed to send the application to the parliament. He stated that the final decision would be made by the parliament, but also stressed that "we have no issues that couldn't be resolved with any country."

In response to the president's recent remarks, a joint declaration following an EU foreign minister summit on July 20 said the relations could be improved if Turkey took steps regarding the Cyprus issue and human rights.

Regarding this matter, Erdoğan asserted that "we will not hesitate to contribute to the island of Cyprus reaching a permanent and just peace."

He, however, added, "It is clear that instead of insisting on their demands, they should accept the situation on the ground," referring to the divided state of the island. " I want to emphasize that our support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus remains steadfast, and our contributions will continue to increase and persist."

Local elections

Turning to the topic of the local elections scheduled for March 2024, Erdoğan stated that they aimed to strengthen the victory they achieved in the parliamentary and presidential elections in May by emerging victorious in the local polls as well.

"We see the importance of harmony between the government and local administrations," he said, adding that "we should not waste this historic opportunity."

In the local elections in 2019, Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost control of the municipalities of İstanbul and Ankara to the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). (VK)