Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed Monday, February 8, during a videoconference with the German Chancellor, his wish to see a summit organized in the first half of the year between Turkey and the European Union, which for its part expects "
Credible gestures
" for the normalization of relations.
Read also: Europeans are wary of Erdogan's overtures
"
President Erdogan reiterated his wish for the organization of a Turkey-EU summit before the end of the Portuguese presidency
," said the Turkish presidency in a statement on the videoconference between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Angela Merkel.
The presidency of the EU by Portugal, a country considered "
friendly
" by Ankara, ends at the end of June.
Relations between the EU and Turkey have been strained last year.
In December, the leaders of the European Union, meeting in summit in Brussels, decided to sanction the “illegal and aggressive” actions of Turkey in the Mediterranean against Greece and Cyprus.
A desire for normalization of relations was displayed in mid-January by the Turkish president, but European leaders demanded “
credible gestures
” and “
lasting efforts
” on Ankara's part to speak out during a summit. March 25 and 26.
The Turkish head of state told the German Chancellor
of Ankara's
"
determination
" to maintain a "
positive
"
spirit
in its relations with the EU.
For her part, Merkel welcomed "
recent positive signals and (recent) events in the Eastern Mediterranean
", according to a statement made public by the Chancellery.
However, the normalization of relations with the EU desired by Turkey promises to be difficult at a time when a severely repressed student protest movement is shaking this country.
The EU on Thursday called for the immediate release of the arrested students and said it was "
seriously concerned
" about the repression and the deterioration of the rule of law in Turkey.
