UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH, SLOVAKIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Merve Aydogan
ANKARA (AA) – Turkey's foreign minister on Tuesday called on the EU to be sincere, act strategically, and refrain from repeating past mistakes for relations with Turkey to develop further.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Korcok in Ankara, Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on Turkey-EU relations, saying negotiations between Turkey and the EU stand on political motives.
Cavusoglu said the ministers addressed regional matters, Turkey-EU relations, and the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as topics related to Cyprus, Ukraine, the Black Sea, Libya, and the migration issue.
"We only left with the migration deal, and when we look at that, it is clear that Turkey has fulfilled all of its obligations in the context of this agreement since 2016. The EU did not, could not, did not want to [fulfill its obligations]," Cavusoglu told.
Stating that the EU has taken a stance entirely against Turkey in the past year with an understanding of solidarity within the bloc at the expense of conflicting with its values, he said the EU "had to support the unfair policies and maximalist demands of its member countries."
Cavusoglu recalled the leaders' summit last December and said there was a positive environment between Turkish and the EU officials.
"For Turkey-EU relations to further develop, the EU must refrain from repeating past mistakes, be sincere and act strategically," he added.
He said there is a positive atmosphere and regular dialogue between Turkey and the EU as he called for a concrete step to be taken to further enhance the relations.
On Turkey's EU membership matters, Cavusoglu thanked Slovakia for its support during the process and noted: "There is a slowdown, almost a halt, not caused by us, in the [EU] membership process."
Turkey does not welcome restrictions in the defense industry among allies, Cavusoglu said, adding: "NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is working on the matter. We will discuss this at the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting next week."
As a decade is left behind in the ongoing Syrian crisis, the Turkish foreign minister said: "At this point, there are some issues that we can be optimistic about, but there are also issues that we are still pessimistic about."
"Until now, more than 13 million Syrians had to leave their country. About 3.6 million of them live in our country [Turkey]. Now, around 6 million people have been internally displaced in Syria, while about 5 million Syrians need shelter," he added.
Referring to the upcoming EU summit between Turkey and the bloc officials on the migration deal, Cavusoglu noted that Turkey and the EU working together is necessary for the European continent's prosperity, security, and stability.
Cavusoglu concluded his remarks by stressing that his country expects the EU to show sincere support and cooperation in efforts towards combatting terrorism.
For his part, the Slovakian foreign minister hailed the bilateral ties with Turkey, expressing a will to deepen relations further.
"Turkey is an important ally at NATO. Not only a partnership, but there is a very important alliance [between Turkey and Slovakia]," Korcok said.
Korcok also welcomed Turkey's reforms in human rights, the rule of law, and economy, noting that these "extremely important" reforms would bring Turkey-EU relations closer as Slovakia would support the reforms.
He further praised Turkey's efforts in the refugee crisis and said his country supports the renewal of the March 18, 2016 deal and the continuation of Turkey-EU cooperation in that regard.
