Turkey heralds EU’s new leadership team

ANKARA

Poland's PM Donald Tusk (K) and Italy's Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini (R) stand with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy after a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Aug. 30. AP Photo

Turkey has welcomed the European Union’s new leadership team, voicing support for Polish Premier Donald Tusk as the next EU president and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini as the new head of the EU’s diplomatic service. Both Tusk and Mogherini are citizens of countries that support Turkey’s EU membership bid.

“We feel great pleasure with the selection of the EU’s new leaders from two important countries like Italy and Poland, both of which are in favor of Turkey’s membership," said Volkan Bozkır, the newly appointed EU Minister, on Sept. 3. 

"[We] wish the upcoming period to be a period that strengthens the union, increases the union’s visibility, and brings in new momentum to our membership process,” Bozkır added.

Center-right politician Tusk is replacing current EU President Herman Van Rompuy, while center-left politician Mogherini is replacing Catherine Ashton as EU High Representative.

Bozkır also voiced his “full conviction that a new and dynamic period will begin on this occasion in relations between the EU and Turkey,” while noting that the EU currently faces "significant challenges."