On Monday 29 May, EU representatives congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his re-election the previous day. He was elected with 52.1% of the vote against 47.9% for his Social Democrat rival, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
On Twitter, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said they were looking forward to further developing EU-Turkey relations. “It is of strategic importance for both the EU and Turkey to work on advancing this relationship, for the benefit of our people”, emphasised Mrs von der Leyen.
In a joint statement, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, welcomed the holding of the second round of the presidential election “with a high turnout of the Turkish people, who exercised their democratic right to vote”.
“The EU has a strategic interest in pursuing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey and all its people, as well as in establishing a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean”, they stressed at a time when tensions with Greece and Cyprus are still high.
The High Representative and the Commissioner made it clear that the EU is ready to engage with Turkey to progress towards a “constructive” relationship for the common prosperity and stability of the EU and Turkey, “based on commitments to human rights, the Rule of law, international law and regional stability, in the interest of all (its) citizens”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)