Türkiye calls on the European Union to make “sincere” efforts to activate dialogue mechanisms
Türkiye renewed its call on the European Union to make sincere efforts. To activate dialogue mechanisms, update the Customs Union Agreement, liberalize entry visas to the Schengen country for its citizens, and fulfill its obligations under the Migration Agreement and readmit refugees.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that updating the Customs Union Agreement signed between his country and the European Union in 1995 and exempting Turkish citizens from the Schengen visa are a priority for Turkey.
Fidan said, during a meeting in Ankara on Monday-Tuesday night, with the head of the European Union mission, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, and his countries’ ambassadors to Turkey: “We have shown our determination in this regard, and we attach importance to the positive messages from the European Union, but they must be implemented.”
The Turkish and European sides agreed, during the visit of the European Union Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Affairs, Oliver Varheli, on September 7, to resume negotiations to update the Customs Union Agreement within a week, but the negotiations have not been held yet.
Updating the agreement, which entered into force in early 1996, has been a repeated demand for Turkey in recent years. Because it is limited to industrial goods and processed agricultural products.
Fidan stressed the need to activate dialogue and cooperation mechanisms between Turkey and the European Union, and for the European Union to show sincere efforts in this regard. He said: “We also expect the obstacles that delay our citizens to obtain entry visas to be removed immediately, and for the visas granted to be multi-trip and long-term.”
Fidan met with the ambassadors of the European Union countries in Ankara to discuss his country’s relations with the bloc (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
With regard to combating illegal immigration, the Turkish Minister stressed the need for the European Union to fulfill its obligations under the March 18, 2016 agreement on migration and greater burden-sharing.
The migration agreement includes 3 interconnected clauses on immigration and the readmission of asylum seekers, especially from Greece, which is the first gateway to Europe from the Turkish side, and the cancellation of entry visas for Turkish citizens to the EU (Schengen) countries. According to it, financial aid amounting to 6 billion euros was also allocated to Turkey. To contribute to bearing the burdens of Syrian refugees.
Greece also wants to update the agreement and expand its scope, because it has contributed greatly to reducing the flow of migrants and asylum seekers through Turkey.
Fidan said: “We must cooperate more strongly in combating terrorism, as Turkey plays a very important role in solving problems in its surroundings,” expressing his hope that the European Union will deal with Turkey “with a serious vision” and abandon “narrow political calculations.”
Crisis between Greece and Turkey
Meanwhile, signs of a new crisis have emerged between neighboring Greece and Turkey, which recently sought to resume talks on disputes and outstanding issues.
Turkey and Greece recently held talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers to discuss the outstanding issues in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The new crisis came against the backdrop of Greek press reports, which accused Turkey of annexing a small disputed island in the Aegean Sea and conducting military training on it.
Greek reports claimed that Turkey was conducting an experimental test to operate the S-400 missile system, which it obtained from Russia in the summer of 2019, on Giraffe Island, which is under Greek sovereignty, with the support of F-16 aircraft and drones, which began on Monday and will continue. Until Thursday.
Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to the Turkish government, said (Tuesday) that Ankara sent an official memorandum to Athens confirming that the island is subject to Turkey’s sovereignty.
The rocky “Giraffe” Island, which has an area of 9 kilometers and overlooks a coast extending for 32 meters, is located between the municipalities of Kokceda in Çanakkale and Enez in the state of Arden in the northwest of the country on the border with Greece, in the area where Turkey has exclusive sovereign rights.
Turkey’s memorandum sent to Greece included that the area in which the exercises began was subject to its sovereignty, and within the borders of the “flight information” zone in Istanbul, and that the “Greek sovereignty” claimed by Athens over Giraffe Island is “occupation.” Because the island is Turkish territory, therefore military maneuvers are conducted on it.
Turkey says that Giraffe Island lies within the territorial waters defined by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. This status would strengthen Turkey’s sovereign rights in the Aegean Sea, while Greece claims that the island was granted to it under the Paris Peace Treaty in 1947. Greek media promised Turkish exercises in The island is the first challenge from Turkey in its bicentenary.
Türkiye and Greece held discussions in Athens about two weeks ago. To resume dialogue between them on the outstanding disputes in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean, in addition to immigration issues.
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2023-11-01 08:14:35
