Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz on Friday said a "strong Türkiye-European Union perspective" remains achievable, as Ankara pushes for a rapid resumption of talks to modernize the customs union with the bloc and address visa regulations.
Yılmaz's remarks came following a meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and her delegation in Ankara. Trade Minister Ömer Bolat was also present.
A statement following a separate meeting between Kos and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said they had agreed to continue work toward updating the EU-Türkiye Customs Union and to improve its implementation.
"They shared a willingness to work for paving the way for the modernization of the Customs Union and to achieve its full potential in order to support competitiveness, and economic security and resilience for both sides," they said in a joint statement afterward.
The sides also welcomed the gradual resumption of European Investment Bank (EIB) operations in Türkiye and said they intended to support projects across the country and neighboring regions in cooperation with the bank.
Yılmaz said talks with Kos and her delegation focused on the strategic nature of Türkiye-EU relations, the importance of a credible and fair enlargement policy, and the need for concrete progress in ties.
"Concrete steps regarding the full EU membership process, the modernization of the customs union, visa liberalization and the revitalization of high-level dialogue mechanisms are vital for Türkiye-EU relations, which are too important to be confined to narrow agendas," he said on the social media platform NSosyal.
"We believe that a strong Türkiye-EU perspective, advancing on the basis of mutual interest and shared responsibility, as well as equality, merit and inclusivity, is possible."
Türkiye has been an official candidate to join the EU since 1999, but its accession has been frozen for years over multiple disagreements.
The sides have in recent months shown signs of increased engagement and economic cooperation.
The EU-Türkiye Customs Union entered into force in 1995, but is limited to industrial goods and processed agricultural products. Türkiye and the business world have repeatedly called for talks to modernize the deal to restart, but no concrete steps have been taken.
Bolat said Friday's talks focused on strengthening Türkiye-EU trade ties through a shared understanding of competitiveness and economic security.
Türkiye conveyed its expectation that the EU's new trade and competition policies should remain compatible with the functioning of the customs union, he noted.
“In a highly positive atmosphere, we reaffirmed our mutual will to take concrete steps in trade on the basis of mutual benefit and to work together on a tangible and positive agenda," Bolat said.
There was no immediate statement on any discussions about visa issues.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source on Thursday said Fidan was expected to convey Türkiye's expectation that the bloc's move in July to ease visa regulations for Turks be implemented effectively.
Under a 2016 deal, Ankara significantly curbed migration to Europe and agreed to take back migrants who had crossed from its territory to Europe in return for EU aid to help fund more than four million refugees on Turkish soil.
After years of complaints regarding the bloc's visa system, which the EU says was overwhelmed by applications, the EU decided to ease rules for Turks to use its open-border Schengen area.
