Turkish FM says he expects positive steps in ties with EU

TASHKENT – Anadolu Agency

Positive steps are expected in Turkey’s ties with the European Union, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on March 27.

“We will see concrete steps. We are here to take concrete steps too,” said Çavuşoğlu in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, attending a conference on the neighboring Afghanistan.

Çavuşoğlu told reporters that the EU’s role on the ground will not be as effective without Turkey, reflecting on the Turkish-EU summit held in Varna, Bulgaria on March 26, describing talks at the meeting as “frank.”

He also stressed that the EU will benefit more from closer ties with Turkey.

Topics discussed in Varna included Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” in Syria’s Afrin, Jerusalem, Cyprus, and the migrant issue, said Çavuşoğlu.

He also stressed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan clearly laid out Turkey’s expectations from the EU.

“We need to go forward on the basis of mutual respect,” he said.

Çavuşoğlu said most EU member states want Turkey to join the union and see its potential role in the bloc.

The summit might be a turning point, he added.