President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a phone call Tuesday that escalating regional tensions have once again demonstrated the strategic importance of relations between Türkiye and the European Union.

The call covered Türkiye-European Union relations alongside regional and global developments, the Turkish Communications Directorate said on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

During the call, Erdoğan said Türkiye has been working to maintain a cease-fire and ensure peace in the ongoing conflict in the region, adding that the Strait of Hormuz should also be reopened as soon as possible.

He added that Israel seeks the continuation of conflicts in the region and continues to violate international law, including acts described as piracy, stressing the need to boost international pressure on Israel.

Erdoğan also underlined that Türkiye’s inclusion in Europe’s security strategy initiatives would be beneficial, that the Turkish-EU Customs Union needs to be updated, and that cooperation should be expanded across all fields in order to strengthen economic integration and advance shared interests.