President Erdogan, European Commission head discuss ways to strengthen EU- Türkiye ties

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed strengthening EU- Türkiye relations on Wednesday during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

"Good meeting (with) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I welcome Türkiye’s agreement to move forward with Sweden’s NATO accession," Leyen wrote on Twitter following the meeting.

They also discussed continued support for Ukraine and Türkiye’s tireless efforts to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, she added.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan met with the prime ministers of Spain, the Netherlands, and Greece, Pedro Sanchez, Mark Rutte, and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, respectively.

The 31 leaders of the military alliance met to discuss the Ukraine war, Sweden's NATO membership, and steps to strengthen the group's defense and deterrence, among other issues.

Türkiye has been a NATO member for over 70 years and boasts its second-largest army.