Boosting contacts for full membership necessary, Turkish president tells EU

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) — The EU and Türkiye must boost contacts at all levels with a concrete and positive agenda for full membership, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the European Council's head Wednesday.

In a phone call with Charles Michel, Erdogan underlined Ankara's "great" strategic value to Europe, according to a statement released by Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Erdogan emphasized the importance of cooperation in updating the Customs Union between the two sides, as well as on visa liberalization, immigration management, and fighting terrorism.

He also stressed that fair treatment of Türkiye and support for its full EU membership would open new horizons in relations.

For his part, Charles congratulated Erdogan on his reelection as president last month.

Türkiye applied for EU membership in 1987 and has been a candidate country since 1999. Negotiations for full membership started in October 2005 but have stalled in recent years due to political hurdles erected by some countries.