Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, Faruk Kaymakcı, said that the Union must treat his country on an equal footing with other candidate countries for membership.
This came at a meeting in Brussels on Monday as part of Enlargement Day activities on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the largest expansion of the European Union, which included 10 countries.
Kaymakcı pointed out that the final statement on Turkey issued by the European Union summit held on April 17 and 18 “was disappointing.”
He stressed that steps must be taken as soon as possible, such as starting high-level dialogues, reactivating the European Investment Bank in Turkey, facilitating visas, and modernizing the customs union.
He pointed out that the European Union “links every issue related to Turkey to Cyprus,” adding: “We cannot reach any solution with unilateral policies.”
On the other hand, Kaymakcı thanked the European Union for its solidarity with Turkey following the earthquake disaster on February 6, 2023, and noted that “pledges must be turned into actions.”
