Top EU official visits Türkiye for $236M projects, stronger partnership

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the European Union and Türkiye share strong ties that outweigh their differences, announcing that two projects each worth 100 million euros ($118 million) will be signed during her Feb. 5-6 visit to Ankara.

"There is really more that connects EU and Türkiye than what is dividing us, and we really should work on this," she told Anadolu Agency (AA), stressing that "our economies are very much interdependent."

Kos said she is "very much looking forward" to her first official visit to Türkiye, and explained that she had "intense contacts" with her Turkish counterparts "since the first day" of her mandate, especially with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

She asserted that her visit aligns with the approach of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the aim of opening a new perspective in the relations.

"We are really living in challenging times. The world is changing around us. We are seeing the return of imperial behavior as China, Russia, and the U.S. are aggressively building their spheres of interest," Kos said.

In the face of these geopolitical challenges, Kos urged strengthening cooperation, noting: "Our economies are very much interdependent. Whatever happens on the field of migration on each side is affecting the other side."

Kos expressed hope that the Ukraine peace agreement would be signed soon to "change the realities in Europe and also especially in the Black Sea, where I see Türkiye as a very important partner already."

Focusing on trust

Kos expla