Ankara expects positive steps from the European Union on visa liberalization and the customs union, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday following the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Saying that Turkish Presidential Advisor Akif Çağatay Kılıç is in Brussels for talks, Erdoğan on his return from Vilnius told journalists: “He will discuss both the Customs Union issue and visa liberalization issues. I believe that these will be in favor of Türkiye. Ursula von der Leyen also told us some positive things about it today. I think my advisor, Çağatay, will return from there with positive developments.”
Erdoğan underlined that Türkiye fulfilled its promises vis-à-vis the bloc, adding: “We want to see the tangible results of the negotiations carried out on a win-win principle as soon as possible.”
Ankara has been calling to re-energize the accession process, update the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, regular high-level dialogues, visa liberalization and counterterrorism.
Türkiye has the most extended history with the union and the most prolonged negotiation process. The country signed an association agreement with the EU's predecessor in 1964, the European Economic Community (EEC), which is usually regarded as a first step to eventually becoming a candidate. Applying for official candidacy in 1987, Türkiye had to wait until 1999 to be granted the status of a candidate country. For the start of the negotiations, however, Türkiye had to wait for another six years, until 2005, a uniquely long process compared with other candidates.
