EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır will pay a two-day working visit to European capital Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The visit will take place after Turkish and EU leaders agreed on a deal on Sunday under which Turkey will take steps to slow the flow of migrants into southern Europe in exchange for aid and renewed talks on EU membership.
During his visit, EU Minister Bozkır will meet with EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, the Commissioner for education, culture and sport, Tibor Navracsics and Chairman of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Elmar Brok.
EU Minister Bozkır is expected to inform EU officials about the new reform program of Turkey's new government that gained a vote of confidence recently with the aim of accelerating Turkey's EU membership bid. A further step that needs to be taken to implement the refugee deal is also expected to be discussed.
Turkey is willing to accelerate the EU negotiation process therefore the EU's principle decision to open Chapter 17 on economic and monetary policy for negotiation on Dec. 14 or Dec. 15 after a two-year hiatus was welcomed by Ankara. Turkey is expecting the EU to open six more chapters sometime in 2016.
Turkey began negotiations with the EU in 2005 and so far out of the 35 policy chapters, 14 chapters have been opened and 17 remain blocked.
