Brussels, 19/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 18 September, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle spoke of his “conviction that constructive cooperation between the EU and Turkey” would continue, with a new European Commission coming into office on 1 November. During his meeting with the new Turkish minister of European affairs, Volkan Bozkir, Füle said he hoped that, under the next Commission, “EU-Turkey relations would continue to develop in order to achieve their full potential for the benefit of both EU and Turkish citizens”.
Füle advocated “a deepening of relations in all areas where there is still huge, untapped potential, including economy and trade, foreign policy dialogue, visa and migration policy, and energy”. He reiterated the need for Ankara to strengthen its engagement with the Commission on the rule of law and fundamental rights, and he stressed the importance of the Ministry for European Affairs in ensuring the coordination and compatibility of Turkish legislation with that of the EU.
Füle stated that the accession negotiations were the “central engine of EU-Turkey relations”. He and Bozkir agreed on the need to re-engage in the EU positive agenda.
On Friday 19 September, Bozkir also met current European Commissioner for the Regions and future Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Accession Negotiations Johannes Hahn.
Elsewhere, on Thursday 18 September, Turkey presented its new strategy on the European Union, which comprises three axes - the political reform process, socio-economic transformation in the accession process, and the communication strategy. The 13-page document, which sets out very general principles, should become operational via adoption of the national action plan for EU accession, and via adoption of the communication strategy on the EU, in November. (CG)