Top EU officials to visit Türkiye for talks on security, trade
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Luxembourg, Oct 20, 2025. (AA Photo)


Three senior members of the European Commission are set to visit Türkiye on Tuesday in a rare joint trip that Ankara views as a sign of renewed momentum in relations between Türkiye and the European Union amid shifting geopolitical and security dynamics, according to Foreign Ministry sources.

European Commission Executive Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner are expected to hold talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara.

Foreign Ministry sources said the simultaneous visit by three European commissioners reflects the growing strategic importance the EU attaches to relations with Türkiye as Europe confronts increasing geopolitical, security and economic challenges. The visit comes one day before Ireland assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union and is expected to contribute to the positive atmosphere that has emerged in Türkiye-EU ties over the past year.

During his meetings, Fidan is expected to reaffirm that Türkiye's full membership in the European Union remains one of Ankara's strategic priorities under the vision of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Turkish minister is also expected to stress that the enlargement process should proceed based on fairness and merit and that Türkiye should participate in all EU mechanisms and engagement processes on an equal footing with other candidate countries.

Fidan will argue that Türkiye's eventual accession would strengthen not only the country but also the European Union by enhancing its competitiveness, resilience and geopolitical influence, the ministry said.

He is expected to call on Brussels to remove restrictions that have weighed on bilateral relations since European Union foreign ministers adopted measures against Türkiye in July 2019 over tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Economic cooperation is expected to feature prominently in the discussions. Fidan is expected to press for the long-delayed modernization of the EU-Türkiye Customs Union, saying negotiations should begin without further delay. He is also expected to underline Türkiye's role as an integral part of European manufacturing supply chains and call for Turkish-origin goods produced within the Customs Union framework to be treated as European products.

Migration and visa liberalization are also expected to be on the agenda. Ankara is expected to call for the completion of the visa liberalization dialogue and for more effective implementation of recent measures aimed at facilitating Schengen visa applications for Turkish citizens, including commercial truck drivers.

Fidan is also expected to advocate closer cooperation on regional connectivity projects spanning the Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia, describing Türkiye as a key partner in efforts to strengthen regional stability and economic resilience.

Regional security issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine, developments in the South Caucasus, Gaza, Syria and Iran, are expected to be discussed, with Türkiye emphasizing the need for regular, action-oriented dialogue and coordination with the EU.

Since the beginning of 2026, Türkiye and the EU have resumed high-level dialogue meetings on trade, migration and security, science and innovation, climate and economic affairs. Türkiye was also invited to informal meetings of EU foreign ministers, while the European Investment Bank has partially resumed operations in the country.

European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are also expected to travel to Türkiye alongside Kallas for the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.

The EU remains Türkiye's largest trading partner, while Türkiye is the bloc's fifth-largest trading partner. Bilateral trade reached approximately $233 billion in 2025.

The next Türkiye-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on July 2 and is expected to focus on deepening trade, investment and financial cooperation.