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President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen
During the call, President Erdoğan emphasised the need to update the Customs Union and also addressed ongoing regional tensions.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate’s NSosyal account, the conversation focused on Türkiye-European Union relations as well as regional and global developments.
Stressing that recent tensions in the region have once again demonstrated the strategic importance of Türkiye relations, during which they focused on resolving issues of mutual concern so as to strengthen the economic integration, President Erdoğan noted that Türkiye’s participation in Europe’s security initiatives would be beneficial, that the Customs Union should be updated, and that it is important to enhance the cooperation in every area.
In a post on her personal X account, Ursula von der Leyen described the conversation with Erdoğan as “very good”, stating that “Türkiye is a key partner in a turbulent region”.
“Türkiye is a critical ally in the region,” said von der Leyen, adding, “We also discussed the Eastern Mediterranean and the Cyprus issue. We emphasised the importance of EU-Türkiye relations. The EU stands ready to support the UN-led process at every stage.”