EU leaders gather in Brussels for special summit to discuss Mideast, Ukraine

By Nur Asena Erturk

The leaders of European Union member states are gathering Wednesday in Brussels for a two-day special summit.

The leaders will discuss economic and competitiveness issues, as well as the situation in Ukraine, relations with Türkiye, the conflict in the Middle East, and the situation in Lebanon, according to the EU Council.

In an open letter to the member states’ leaders on Tuesday, EU Council President Charles Michel said: “I propose that we set out operational taskings across key sectors. The most important among these is the single market, where we must fully capitalise on all its potential.”

“Additionally, companies are struggling under the weight of regulation and administrative red tape. We must work towards dismantling these barriers and ensuring a coherent and smart regulatory framework to ensure that our businesses can grow and thrive,” he added.

Michel also stressed the urgency for the EU to intensify its “delivery of military assistance, notably air defence capabilities.”

“Our commitment to work with partners to end the tragic crisis in Gaza with an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, as well as an urgent increase of unimpeded humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza, remains crucial,” he added, decrying how Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend “exacerbated an already highly volatile situation in the region.”

Michel also reiterated the EU’s “strategic interest in developing a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship” with Türkiye.

An official candidate for joining the bloc, Türkiye applied for EU membership in 1987, and its accession talks began in 2005.

In the years since, the talks have been essentially frozen due to political roadblocks by certain EU members for reasons unrelated to its suitability for membership, according to Ankara.

Since Ankara said last year that it would greenlight Sweden’s NATO membership, Turkish leaders have made a renewed push for EU leaders and members to take a more constructive attitude towards its membership bid.