Turkish, EU Council leaders discuss bilateral relations

ISTANBUL- Anadolu Agency

In a phone call on April 3, Turkey's president and the head of the European Council discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues.

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the EU’s Charles Michel also discussed efforts to fight COVID-19, said Turkey’s Communications Directorate.

This week Turkey dispatched medical aid to Italy and Spain, the two nations worst hit in Europe by the novel coronavirus.

Ties with Turkey multifaceted: EU foreign policy chief

The EU’s relationship with Turkey cannot be limited to just migration, the EU’s foreign policy chief said on April 3.

The questions of migration and financial aid are an important part of ties between Turkey and the EU, but there are many other aspects to be improved, Josep Borrell told a press conference after a videoconference of EU foreign ministers.

Borrell was tasked in March to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşolu, to find ways to improve implementation of the 2016 EU-Turkey deal on migration.

"Despite the coronavirus, I am in touch with my colleague and friend, the minister of foreign affairs of Turkey,” said Borrell, adding that both sides “are in continuous discussion to look for a solution.”

The EU’s diplomatic service is also supposed to deliver a report on future prospects for the agreement, but Borrell declined to offer a preview.

But last week, Borrell told journalists that the assessment would cover the topics of visa liberalization and updating the Customs Union, two areas in the 2016 deal where Turkey has complained of broken EU promises