EU commissioner for enlargement says bloc determined to strengthen dialogue, cooperation with Türkiye

By Selen Temizer

BRUSSELS (AA) - The European Union’s enlargement commissioner said Tuesday that the EU is determined to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Türkiye and to support its efforts to manage migration.

Oliver Varhelyi spoke at a high-level panel on EU-Türkiye relations: current trends, future perspectives and common challenges in the field of migration management organized by Türkiye’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.

Varhelyi, who started his speech by congratulating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his election victory in May, said the EU has "great hopes" for working with the new government in Türkiye in the coming years.

He said the EU looks forward to continuing to establish strategic relations with Ankara.

"We need each other for our common prosperity and stability. We need each other for the benefit of our people," he said.

Varhelyi said the bloc is "confident that Türkiye will continue to contribute significantly to this as a candidate country, an important regional partner, a key NATO ally and a mediator between Ukraine and Russia."

He underscored that Türkiye has played "a pivotal role" in global food security through the Black Sea Grain Initiative and "we hope this initiative continues."

"In the coming period, the EU will contact the new Turkish government to discuss the current outlook of our partnership," he added.

Emphasizing that the issue of migration is an important challenge, Varhelyi said the EU's fulfillment of its commitments and its partnership with Türkiye politically, financially and operationally should yield tangible results.

He said the EU will continue to support Türkiye, which hosts the largest refugee population in the world.

"We are also aware of the significant migration pressure Türkiye faces, particularly along its eastern and southern borders," he said, noting that the bloc is committed to continuing to significantly assist refugees and host communities in the country.