Europe promises Turkey swift EU membership once again

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with the European Commission’s commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, in Ankara, the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported.

The two sides said recent global and regional developments have further underscored the strategic importance of Türkiye-EU relations. Fidan called for swiftly overcoming existing obstacles in bilateral ties and urged cooperation within a more comprehensive, institutional and multilayered framework. Both sides agreed that strengthening cooperation in areas including security and connectivity is of strategic importance in light of ongoing regional and global challenges.

Fidan and Kos said five high-level dialogue meetings held in 2025 had helped advance EU support for Türkiye’s efforts to host refugees under temporary protection and improve Turkish citizens’ access to multiple-entry Schengen Area visas.

They also welcomed the adoption of a European Commission decision easing access for Turkish citizens to multiple-entry Schengen visas and underscored the importance of advancing the Visa Liberalization Dialogue, alongside enhanced cooperation on security and migration through high-level dialogue mechanisms.

They also emphasized closer coordination to shape a regional connectivity agenda covering energy, transport, digitalization and trade, aimed at boosting stability, resilience and sustainable growth in the Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia, highlighting Türkiye’s role as a central geopolitical actor in the region.

Fidan and Kos confirmed Türkiye’s status as a candidate country and welcomed renewed mutual engagement in areas of shared interest, pledging to translate dialogue into concrete steps.