EU's Borrell sees Türkiye as 'essential' to EU goals amid challenging geopolitical climate

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The EU foreign policy chief on Wednesday stated that "Türkiye is a candidate country whose geopolitical relevance has increased much more in the current circumstances."

Josep Borrell made these remarks at a press conference, announcing the 2024 Enlargement Package, which includes assessments of candidate countries such as Türkiye, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Ukraine, and Moldova.

He was joined by European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi.

Expressing that he has "worked a lot to reverse the negative spiral in Türkiye-EU relations," Borrell commented: "At the beginning, things were much more difficult than today. We have re-engaged in areas of mutual interest."

Underlining Türkiye's importance to the union, Borrell said: "Türkiye, it's essential. It's essential because the geopolitical context is the most challenging, the most challenging that it has been in a long time."

"And European citizens expect the European Union to have the capacity to act to ensure stability and cooperation in our neighborhood, in our surrounding areas," he added.

Borrell also mentioned some progress in areas like trade, anti-money laundering, research and innovation, and economic and monetary policies, saying Türkiye’s efforts in these fields are appreciated.

The "Türkiye Report" within the 2024 Enlargement Package stated that developing a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship is in the EU’s strategic interest, highlighting the country's role as an active and important actor in foreign policy with strategic autonomy.