Erdoğan holds a phone call with President Charles Michel of the European Council

European Council President Michel called Erdoğan to share information and exchange views on the EU Summit.

Noting that Turkey envisions its future with the EU, Erdoğan said that every positive step taken in the Turkey-EU relations offers a new window of opportunity.

While Turkey wants to turn a new page with the EU, some others continually make efforts to create crises, Erdoğan stated, underscoring that Turkey and the EU must break this vicious circle in their relations as soon as possible.

The Greek side, constantly coming up with new excuses, avoids talks and has taken provocative steps in recent weeks even though Turkey has repeatedly expressed its readiness to resume exploratory talks with Greece, Erdoğan said.

Underlining that Ankara, despite all this, builds its policies solely on justice and fairness, Erdoğan stated that Turkey is the side which displays a well-intentioned and constructive stance on the Eastern Mediterranean issue and that its proposal for an international conference regarding this issue is still on the table.

Emphasizing that this conference must exclude no one, the TRNC included, Erdoğan noted that it is the Turkish side which has always exerted the necessary efforts to achieve a just, lasting and sustainable solution on the Cyprus Island.

Erdoğan stated that none of the issues deemed problematic by the EU such as Libya, Syria and Karabakh relate to the essence of the Turkey-EU relations and that the basic principles and goals about these issues largely overlap.

Stressing that the Turkey-EU relations have been confined to the narrow interests of some member states over the past two years, Erdoğan said that Turkey wishes to start to talk with the EU again over the big picture on the basis of mutual benefit.

The tool which can be of practical use in the first stage to promote a positive agenda is the March 18 agreement, Erdoğan said, emphasizing Ankara’s hope that the EU will adopt a reasonable and constructive approach about Turkey. (ILKHA)