Turkey and the European Union pledged to enhance long-stalled ties in a high-level parliamentary meeting held in Brussels for the first time after three years on Thursday.
The Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting was held at the European Parliament. The last such meeting was held in the Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 19, 2018.
Speaking at the meeting, co-chair of the EU-Turkey Committee, Emrah Karayel, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker, welcomed the reconvening of the commission after the European Parliament elections in 2019.
Noting that they will first discuss the accession negotiations at the meeting, Karayel said the negotiations were "the backbone" of Turkey-EU relations.
"Unfortunately, since the beginning of the negotiations, it has been highly politicized by some member states and has been used for their national interests," he added.
"We expect the EU to act as a reliable international actor and to support Turkey in its EU journey," he said. "Without the perspective of participation, it is impossible to expect the true potential of our relationships to unfold."
Karayel stressed the need to update the customs union, the importance of Turkey in the global supply chain and what Turkey should do in the European Green Deal.
Stating that it is extremely necessary for the EU to take sincere and concrete steps in its relations with Turkey in the upcoming period, he said: "We hope that the European Parliament, which we always see as a key partner, will take supportive steps in this regard."
"It is clear that a constructive approach will benefit both parties," he added.
For his part, EU-Turkey Committee co-Chair Sergey Lagodinsky said: "We are very pleased with this fresh start of the inter-parliamentary relations between EU and Turkey."
"This meeting finally takes place after three years of hard work and waiting on both sides," said Lagodinsky, who is also a German politician.
Stating that the joint parliamentary committee is the main body of inter-parliamentary cooperation, he said it is also the "backbone of our bilateral relations."
"No matter what the differences in our opinions are and what the challenges are, we will keep trying, and we will keep building bridges," he added.
"Turkey is and remains our important partner. Turkey is and remains a candidate country to the EU. Nothing changed about that," he said.
On recent stalled talks between Turkey and the EU, he said: "We have sensed a sense of growing distance between the European Union and Turkey during the past few years. And I think now is the chance to bridge those gaps, to build those bridges, to start anew, and to start a rapprochement on both sides."
"We are ready to boost our mutual engagement," he said.
"The EU is ready to boost our mutual engagement in a number of common interests and common areas," he continued.
"We want to align Turkey and the EU in the green transition, this is a necessity, which is also economical," he said.
"We want to intensify dialogue on climate change, health, migration, counterterrorism and also the economy," he added.
Lagodinsky also praised Turkey's "recent efforts to normalize its position and its relations with a number of countries in the region."
Just over the last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Turkey.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also told Turkish media over the weekend that Ankara has played a "key role" in the global push to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.
Turkey has the longest history with the union and the longest 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, Turkey had to wait until 1999 to be granted the status of a candidate country. For the start of the negotiations, however, Turkey had to wait for another six years, until 2005, a uniquely long process compared with other candidates.
