Europe and Russia are both keen to court Turkey, a long-standing but so far unsuccessful candidate for EU membership, viewed as a bulwark against regional turmoil in Syria and Iraq.
"The visit to Turkey... is a strong indication of the strategic importance of the EU-Turkey relationship and our desire to step up engagement in view of shared interests and common challenges" said Mogherini.
- Mogherini will travel on Dec. 8 and Dec.9 with EU Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Christos Sylianides and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.
The trip comes just days after Putin visited Ankara with 10 ministers in tow to promise a huge increase in trade and closer relations despite sharp differences over the crises in Syria and Ukraine.
During the visit Putin announced the cancellation of the multi-billion-dollar South Stream gas pipeline to Europe, saying instead that Russia would work with Turkey on a gas hub.
Turkey is also a long-standing candidate for EU membership, beginning talks in 2005 which have so far made little progress.
Ankara has been angered by Brussels' insistence on human rights protections while there are strong reservations in some EU member states against allowing in such a large Muslim country.
Negotiations resumed late last year following a three-year freeze but President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's handling of opposition to the government has since then only raised fresh concerns in the EU.
"We are committed to moving forward EU-Turkey relations and keeping the accession negotiations on track," Hahn said in the statement.
"However, further reforms are needed to provide solid ground for progress. To achieve this, we need to have an even closer and deeper relationship with Turkey," he added.
- The European Union and its member states have provided some 2.5 billion euros in humanitarian aid to help neighboring countries deal with the millions of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
5/12/14
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Related:
Russia Scraps South Stream Gas Project (Gazprom Plans to Build New Black Sea Gas Pipeline to Turkey)
Turkey expands food exports to Russia (increased by 447%)
ISIL/ISIS is making $1 million a day by smuggling, (via Turkey and Iraq), says former US energy envoy
Amnesty Reports on Turkish Border Abuses
Related:
Cypriot EEZ: Turkey deploys ships to force Cyprus into concessions on talks
ΕU Parliament Calls on Turkey to Immediately End Seismic Surveys off Cyprus
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Visit to Turkey: EU to step up engagement
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Turkey's EU accession top priority for EU officials ...
ReplyDeleteTurkey's European Union accession process will be the EU Commission's top priority during their visit to Turkey, the EU’s foreign policy chief said over the weekend.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, spoke to The Anadolu Agency before her Monday visit to Turkey.
Mogherini said her visit will accelerate relations between Turkey and the EU as well as signify a fresh start to the "strategically important" bilateral relations betweenTurkey and the EU.
"Our top priority will be Turkey's EU accession process," Mogherini said. "We aim to work with Turkish government officials to give the process a concrete step and move forward."
Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides as well as Mogherini herself will visit Ankara on Monday.
They will hold a quartet meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkir.
Hahn and Stylianides will also head to Turkey's southeastern province of Gaziantep, where more than 33,000 Syrian refugees have taken shelter in four different camps.
Mogherini also underscored that Turkey and EU relations are "critical" in terms of the region's security and stability.
"We are both concerned about the Mediterranean and Middle East region. Because of Turkey's G20 term presidency, they and the EU need to act together during the peace process in Syria and the Middle East,"Mogherini said. "The EU realizes that Turkey has a critical role in the region and will work accordingly to provide peace and stability there."....................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/headline/432124--turkeys-eu-accession-top-priority-for-eu-officials
8/12/14
Turquie: l'UE débloquera 70 M EUR pour les réfugiés syriens (Mogherini) ..
ReplyDeleteL'Union européenne affectera à la Turquie 70 millions d'euros pour apporter une aide humanitaire aux réfugiés syriens, a annoncé lundi la chef de la diplomatie européenne Federica Mogherini lors d'une conférence de presse à Ankara.
"La Turquie a une grande importance dans la région. Si nous associons son rôle à celui de l'Union européenne, nous avancerons plus loin dans le règlement des crises. Cela concerne en premier lieu la crise syrienne. Nous continuerons à accorder de l'aide humanitaire: cette fois-ci, nous affecterons 70 millions d'euros à la Turquie pour soutenir les réfugiés", a déclaré Mme Mogherini....................http://fr.ria.ru/world/20141208/203180578.html
8/12/14
EU offers full support for Turkey's solution process ...
ReplyDeleteThe EU supports Turkey's solution process, the EU foreign policy chief said Monday.
"I am reporting the full support of the EU, more than the support, the encouragement of the EU, to proceed on the peace process efforts that could be extremely beneficial not only for the people of the country but also for the region," said Frederica Mogherini, high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
"I was assured by Demirtas and Akdogan of the good will and intentions of proceeding on these talks," said Mogherini, speaking at a press conference held after meetings with top Turkish officials.
Selahattin Demirtas is the head of the People's Democratic Party, and Yalcın Akdogan is the deputy prime minister responsible for the solution process.
The Turkish government’s solution process was launched last year and aims to secure an end to the decades-long conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a conflict which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people................http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/432614--eu-offers-full-support-for-turkeys-solution-process
8/12/14