The European Union must forge a “strong partnership” with Türkiye to secure lasting stability in Europe after the Ukraine war concludes, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has stated. Her comments, reported by Politico, signal a strategic push to repair deeply strained relations with Ankara.
Relations between Brussels and Ankara have deteriorated over years of deadlocked EU accession talks, disputes over the decades-old Customs Union, migration pressures, and fundamental disagreements on democracy and foreign policy. The EU has criticized democratic backsliding in Türkiye, a charge Ankara rejects as politically motivated. However, Kos argues that Türkiye’s geographic and geopolitical weight makes it an indispensable partner, particularly in the Black Sea region.
“Peace in Ukraine will change the realities in Europe, especially in the Black Sea region. Türkiye will be a very important partner for us,” Kos said in a written statement ahead of a two-day visit to Ankara. “Preparing for peace and stability in Europe implies preparing a strong partnership with Türkiye.”
Her visit included talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, where both sides reaffirmed Türkiye’s status as an EU candidate and discussed cooperation on security, connectivity, and economic integration. A key focus was modernizing the 30-year-old Customs Union, which Ankara argues severely limits its trade and market access. Progress on this, however, remains blocked by Cyprus, which vetoes Turkish participation in EU meetings until Türkiye opens its ports to Cypriot-flagged vessels.
In a tangible confidence-building measure ahead of the trip, Kos announced the European Investment Bank would resume lending in Türkiye with €200 million in renewable energy loans, reversing a suspension since 2019 linked to the Cyprus dispute.
Türkiye’s unique position as a NATO member maintaining close economic and energy ties with Russia—including hosting the Akkuyu nuclear plant—complicates the EU relationship. Nevertheless, Ankara has positioned itself as a neutral mediator, hosting Russia-Ukraine talks and brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative. It has indicated a conditional willingness to participate in future post-conflict security or peacekeeping operations in Ukraine, provided a political settlement and international mandate exist—a scenario Moscow has explicitly rejected, vowing to treat any Western military deployment as “foreign intervention.”
The commissioner’s outreach underscores the EU’s acknowledgement that its eastern and southern security architecture is incomplete without Türkiye. Moving forward, substantive progress on the Customs Union and migration management will be critical tests of whether geopolitical necessity can overcome longstanding political friction, shaping Europe’s stability in a post-conflict era.
