Erdoğan calls for intensified dialogue with EU

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on his top European Union counterparts to intensify the bilateral dialogue between Ankara and Brussels to further promote positive agenda that includes visa liberalization and modernization of the customs union.

Erdoğan spoke over the phone with European Council President Charles Michel, who called Erdoğan to congratulate him on his reelection as the head of the nation, read a statement issued by the Communications Directorate late on June 7. The call also addressed bilateral and regional issues, it said.

Erdoğan expressed the necessity to increase contacts at all levels with a concrete and positive agenda towards full membership of Türkiye, which has a great strategic value for Europe, to the EU. In addition, he emphasized the importance of cooperation in the areas of updating the customs union, ensuring visa liberalization, migration management and the fight against terrorism.

He stated that fair treatment toward Türkiye and support for the full membership perspective will ensure the opening of new horizons in relations.

Ties between Türkiye and the EU have developed especially after the latter’s massive assistance to Türkiye in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in 11 southern provinces.

The EU organized a donors’ conference and collected around 6 billion euros for the reconstruction of the destroyed cities.

Erdoğan convenes MGK meeting

On June 8, the country’s top security board convened under the leadership of Erdoğan. The National Security Council (MGK), which convenes bi-monthly, has met for the first time after the parliamentary and presidential polls and with its new members.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was the former head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, who had served as the chief of general staff, MİT’s new chief İbrahim Kalın and acting Chief of General Staff Gen. Musa Avsever attended the MGK meeting in their new positions.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and other officials also attended the security meeting.

The MGK discussed security issues, the ongoing fight against terror, Sweden’s bid to join NATO and the war between Russia and Ukraine among other top issues. It particularly assessed the continuation of the grain initiative to avoid a global food crisis.