European recognition of improved relations .. The Turkish foreign minister calls on Brussels to take concrete steps

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşolu said that concrete steps should be taken to maintain the positive atmosphere in relations between his country and the European Union, while the High Commissioner for Foreign Policy in the European Union Josep Borrell announced a tangible improvement in relations with Turkey in the recent period.

Cavusoglu said during a joint press conference in the Belgian capital, Brussels, that creating a positive atmosphere in the relations of Turkey and the European Union is important, of course, but concrete steps should be taken to make it sustainable.

And he indicated that he will discuss with Borrell today the details of many common files, including migration and the multilateral conference that Turkey proposed to hold for the issue of the eastern Mediterranean.

Prior to his meeting with Çavuşolu, Borrell welcomed the resumption of exploratory negotiations in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece, and said, “There have been complicated relations during the past year with Turkey.

He indicated that the two parties aim to reach a common vision of the interests that bind them together, stressing that such efforts must be preserved and intentions turned into actions.

Cavusoglu: Creating a positive atmosphere in the relations of Turkey and the European Union is important, of course (Reuters)

Visit and meetup

Earlier on Wednesday evening, Cavusoglu arrived in Brussels at the start of a 3-day visit, during which he will meet with European Union officials as part of diplomatic efforts to improve European-Turkish relations.

Tomorrow, the Turkish foreign minister will meet the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg.

The Europeans noted the Turkish president’s determination to calm down the troubled relations with the European Union, but they were wary of this "declaration of intent" and wanted "concrete actions," said Borrell's spokesman, Peter Stano on Monday.

"We hope that the words of the Turkish president will quickly turn into concrete and permanent actions that prove his actual goodwill towards the European Union," Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselbrunn told the French press.

But he warned that "no one will turn a blind eye. The European Union remains intent on defending its interests and those of its member states, as well as preserving regional stability."

And the leaders of European countries decided last month to impose sanctions on Turkey for its continued gas exploration in the disputed region with Cyprus, and the list of those who will be subjected to sanctions is still being prepared, and it is scheduled to be announced next Monday.

The European Union has also decided to give Ankara a two-month period to prove its good intentions, and Borrell will present a report on the political, economic and trade relations between the Union and Turkey to European leaders during a summit to be held next March.

A week ago, the Turkish foreign minister said that French President Emmanuel Macron sent a positive message to Erdogan, after severe tensions between Ankara and Paris over issues, the most important of which are the dispute over gas at sea, and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Borrell welcomed the resumption of exploratory negotiations in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece (Reuters)

Draft and condemnation

These developments come after Turkey's condemnation of a Greek bill to expand territorial waters from 6 miles to 12 miles in the Ionian Sea, while Greece announced its optimism in talks it will hold with Turkey next week regarding the disputed territorial sovereignty demands.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Greece's expansion of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea, which forms part of the Aegean Sea, will lead to problems in maritime navigation and ship movements, in addition to that Ankara has rights in these seas.

On the other hand, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, before the vote on the bill, that his country will hold talks with Turkey next week "with optimism and self-confidence," adding, "But there will be no naivety" from Athens about the talks and "there will be no discussion." About national sovereignty. "

The talks are set to start in Istanbul next Monday, where Ankara and Athens held 60 rounds of talks between 2002 and 2016, but plans to resume them last year have faltered.