Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed, on Tuesday 15 December, that his country wants to “turn a new page with the EU”, calling for the “vicious circle” in their relations to be broken ”as soon as possible”.
In a statement by the Turkish Presidency issued after a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel - an interview held at the request of Mr Erdoğan a few days after the European summit - the Turkish leader explained that his country “wishes to start to talk with the EU again over the big picture on the basis of mutual benefit”. He said that Turkey-EU relations have been confined to the narrow interests of some Member States over the past two years.
Mr Erdoğan, who recalled that his country was considering its future with the EU, also wants the EU to adopt a “reasonable and constructive approach” towards his country.
According to a European source, Mr Michel presented to the Turkish President the conclusions of the European Council (see EUROPE 12620/2) and reminded him that calm must be maintained and deepened and that exploratory talks with Greece and negotiations for a solution in Cyprus under the auspices of the United Nations should resume “as soon as possible”.
The two presidents agreed to keep the channel of communication open, the source said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)