IKV Chairperson Ayhan Zeytinoğlu made a statement on the participation of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to be held on 29 August 2024. Chairperson Zeytinoğlu emphasised the importance of Minister Fidan's participation in the Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers after a 5-year hiatus for the functioning of the consultation mechanisms between Türkiye and the EU on security and regional issues.

Chairperson Zeytinoğlu said the following:

“We would like to emphasize that we attach importance to the participation of our Foreign Minister in the informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers for the first time in five years and we expect new steps to be taken. It is crucial that Türkiye and the EU exchange views on issues of regional relevance and directly affecting European security. The report by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission, published in 2023, also recommended the participation of the Foreign Minister in the Informal Meetings of EU Foreign Ministers. In the agenda of the Hungarian Presidency, unlike the previous presidencies, a special section was devoted to relations with Türkiye. The emphasis was on developing strategic cooperation with Türkiye and enhancing political dialogue, considering Türkiye's status as a candidate country. Overcoming the objections of the GCASC and taking a step towards this is a positive development. The High-Level Trade Dialogue, which was also among the recommendations of the report, was launched in July. The steps to be taken in this way have started a momentum towards the revival of Türkiye-EU relations. But there is still no progress on important issues. For instance, the process of updating and modernising the customs union has not been launched since 2016. It is stuck on political obstacles and the Cyprus issue. Solutions are also needed in areas such as Schengen visa issues, the visa liberalisation process, migration and refugee issues. We expect these issues to be addressed at the Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers. At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and widespread conflicts, mutual exchange of information and views, cooperation and coordination on security and regional issues will create a confidence-building environment between Türkiye and the EU, which will also benefit the development of relations.”