In a meeting with President of the European Council, António Costa, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who were in Ankara for the NATO Leaders Summit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye expressed his hope of revitalising relations between Türkiye and the European Union (EU).
A statement issued by the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye following the meeting said:
"In the meeting, Erdoğan said that they welcome the increasing contacts at all levels. He added that Türkiye expects its EU membership process to be revitalised, including through the activation of relevant mechanisms and the launch of necessary meetings.
Ahead of his meeting with European leaders, Erdoğan told reporters yesterday evening that he expected them to finally “crack open the door” to negotiations and that Türkiye would work to make this possible.
"Türkiye's 53-year wait is a cruelty. We will tell them to free Türkiye from this cruelty. Hopefully, they will finally crack open the door," Erdoğan said.
During his meeting with the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Erdoğan highlighted that Türkiye is a major production hub in Europe, thanks to its Customs Union membership and EU candidate status.
The statement regarding the meeting noted, "Erdoğan highlighted that the integrated structure of relevant economies is strengthening Europe's global competitiveness, adding that it is only natural for the anticipated changes the EU plans to introduce in the fields of trade and investment to include Türkiye."
The statement also suggested that the Turkish President called for appropriate steps to be taken to enable Türkiye to contribute to European security. In this context, the statement pointed to Türkiye’s inclusion in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism.
The meeting also addressed Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the US-Iran war, and the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.