Three European Union leaders will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Bulgaria on Monday in a bid to mend frayed relations and ensure Turkey continues to prevent an influx of Middle East refugees.European Council President Donald Tusk, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will represent the bloc at the dinner meeting with Erdogan in the Black Sea city of Varna amid fresh strains in EU-Turkey ties. EU heads of government last week slammed Turkey over its sea disputes with Greece and Cyprus, while Ankara accused the bloc of interfering in Turkey’s domestic agenda.“This is going to be a very difficult meeting because relations have extremely deteriorated,” Borissov said ahead of the Varna summit. “At the same time the meeting is loaded with many expectations,” he told reporters in Brussels on Friday.EU-Turkey relations soured last year, with concerns in Europe over Erdogan’s … [Read more...] about EU, Turkey Seek to Mend Relations Amid Disputes Over Sea Borders
Turkey
Erdogan’s narrative begins to crumble as Turkey’s Syria offensive intensifies
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a diplomatic offensive to convince Western leaders and new ally Russia that Ankara’s military operation against the Kurds in northern Syria is aimed at purging “terror elements” and not designed to permanently occupy Syrian territory. Turkey’s state-run media outlet Anadolu Agency reported that Erdogan told French President Emmanuel Macron during a February 3 telephone call that Turkey had “no designs on the territory of another country.” The Turkish military suffered its highest number of casualties in a single day on February 3-4, when 10 soldiers were killed in a 24-hour period. The ongoing offensive codenamed “Operation Olive Branch” was launched on January 20 against members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria’s Kurdish-run Afrin region. The Turks consider the secular YPG as a terrorist organisation that needs to be dealt with … [Read more...] about Erdogan’s narrative begins to crumble as Turkey’s Syria offensive intensifies
Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on today’s attack in Cizre, Turkey
Author: EEAS. The following press release was issued by the EEAS on August 26, 2016 13:42. Another bomb hit Turkey, this time targeting a police station in the border town of Cizre in the South East of the country. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to all injured. The European Union expresses its solidarity and sympathy with the government and people of Turkey. We will continue to strengthen our cooperation to prevent and counter terrorism. At the informal EU foreign ministers meeting in Bratislava on 2-3 September, all EU Foreign Ministers will hear from Minister for EU Affairs Ömer Çelik on the situation in the country following the failed coup attempt. The next EU Turkey High Level Political Dialogue led by Commissioner Johannes Hahn and myself in Ankara on 9 September will be an opportunity to discuss all issues of common interest and concern with Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt … [Read more...] about Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on today’s attack in Cizre, Turkey
Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the attack in Gaziantep, Turkey
Author: EEAS. The following press release was issued by the EEAS on August 21, 2016 12:36. Last night an explosion hit women, men, children celebrating a wedding party in the city of Gaziantep. More than fifty lives have been lost and many are injured. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to all injured. Turkey has been dramatically targeted once again, and in a city – Gaziantep – that is a symbol of the pain caused to thousands of people from the conflict in Syria. The suffering of all the people hit by war, and terror, is our suffering. As European Union, we express our solidarity and sympathy with the government and people of Gaziantep and of all Turkey. And we will continue to strengthen our cooperation with the Turkish authorities to prevent and counter terrorism. We are together in a common fight. We are all called to stand together to protect security, democracy and peace. Copyright EEAS. … [Read more...] about Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the attack in Gaziantep, Turkey
Statement by the President of the European Economic and Social Committee on the situation of fundamental rights in Turkey
Author: European Economic and Social Committee. The following press release was issued by the European Economic and Social Committee on November 14, 2016 10:00. Following the extraordinary meeting of the Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee, held on 10 November 2016, the President made the following statement. I wish to voice my very serious concern at the current situation in Turkey concerning respect for the fundamental rights. While the crime committed in attempting to seize power by violence is to be strongly condemned, under no circumstances can an attempted coup d’état serve to justify any deviation from respect of the fundamental rights. It moreover gives cause for alarm that citizens, civil society organisations, journalists and … Related Themes: External Relations – Enlargement/EUNeighbours Related Sub Themes: Turkey, Demographic change Related EESC Figures: EESC President Copyright European Economic and Social Committee. … [Read more...] about Statement by the President of the European Economic and Social Committee on the situation of fundamental rights in Turkey