Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reaffirmed Tuesday that Türkiye's European Union membership remains a strategic objective following talks with senior EU officials covering a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
In a statement posted on X, Fidan said he was pleased to host European Commission Executive Vice President and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in Ankara.
The sides discussed the full spectrum of Türkiye-EU relations, including foreign policy, connectivity, trade, migration and visa-related issues, Fidan said.
The meeting also addressed regional and global developments, with a particular focus on the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Reiterating Ankara's long-standing position, Fidan said Türkiye remains committed to its goal of joining the European Union, describing membership as a strategic priority.
"As our president has stated, EU membership remains a strategic objective for our country. We are ready to advance our relations with the European Union on this basis," Fidan said.
He also called on the bloc to move relations forward on the basis of objective criteria and merit, without discrimination.
Fidan expressed hope that the joint visit by the three senior European Commission officials would mark an important step toward elevating Türkiye-EU relations to the level both sides seek.
The delegation was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier on Tuesday and also held talks with other top officials, including Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
For decades, Türkiye and the bloc enjoyed good trade ties and cooperation on migration. However, relations have been strained over multiple issues, including the prolonged process of expansion of the scope of the customs union agreement and maritime issues with Greece and Greek Cyprus.
