Brussels, 16/01/2015 (Agence Europe)- Following a meeting with the Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoðlu, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, announced on Thursday 15 January that “in the light of the Paris terrorist attacks,” the EU and Turkey have agreed to intensify dialogue on the fight against terrorism “including to address the threat of ISIL.”
In connection with the Paris attacks, Tusk said the EU's “determination to defend our fundamental values, including freedom of thought, expression and of the media, has only grown greater.” Turkey has more journalists in jail than any other country in the world.
In a press release, Donald Tusk said that the two sides had decided to boost dialogue and cooperation on foreign policy issues, particularly Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and the Middle East. The Turkish prime minister and the President of the European Council “share a strong interest in enhancing economic and trade relations.” Tusk added: “In particular, now is the time to take forward work to modernise the Customs Union, so it can realise its full potential. In this context we also touched on the future of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.”
Enlargement. Welcoming the Turkish government's commitment to the accession process, the president of the European Council said that the EU would continue to support the opening of new chapters when the criteria have been met. The opening of new chapters is currently blocked by Cyprus because of Turkey's failure to respect Cyprus' sovereign rights and exclusive economic area. “Finally, we agreed on the need for a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem. The status quo has endured for too long. It is very important to ensure a positive climate so that the negotiations can resume,” noted Tusk, commending efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue.
During his visit, Davutoðlu also had meetings with the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini. (CG)