On Wednesday, Ankara celebrated Europe Day by stressing the importance of the European Union as an example of political unification and expressed optimistic wishes on the future EU-Turkey relations.
Releasing a statement yesterday to mark Europe Day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the idea of a unified Europe paved the way for stability and welfare in Europe following many years of war and conflicts.
"The process of unification, which started with economic cooperation, increased harmony among its members in every aspect and made the EU a political unification model," said Erdoğan. He added that Turkey intends to continue its existing cooperation mechanisms with the EU in accordance with mutual benefits.
Regarding Turkey's relations with the EU, the president said that the success of the refugee deal signed between the EU and Turkey proved that cooperation between the two sides could be achieved.
In March 2016, Brussels and Ankara reached an agreement to take stricter measures against human smugglers and discourage irregular migration over the Aegean Sea and improve conditions of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
EU Minister Ömer Çelik also released a message and said that the bloc would manage to get over all current problems - including the U.K.'s disintegration, divergences on certain issues and the existence of far-right parties - with its strong and deeply-rooted values and principles.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey wishes the EU overcomes its current challenges while adding that as a European country geographically and historically, Turkey contributes to stability and peace in Europe.
Every year since 1999, May 9 is celebrated as Europe Day to commemorate the anniversary of the 1950 Schuman Declaration, which led to the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community that turned into the European Union, as we know it today.
