Unproductive Conclusion of Erdoğan's Talks with EU Leaders

European Union leaders have stated that during their negotiations on Monday, April 6, with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, Mr. Erdoğan did not provide a response to a long list of concerns, including the detention of journalists and military intervention in Syria. According to Reuters, the meeting of EU leaders with the Turkish President took place in Varna, Bulgaria, where EU leaders emphasized their continued commitment to financial assistance for refugees in Turkey. The negotiations included Boyko Borisov, the rotating president of the EU, Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission. Donald Tusk stated in a press conference after meeting with the Turkish President, 'I raised all concerns with him. As you know, these concerns include a long list.' The President of the European Council mentioned, 'Although our relations are in a difficult situation, we will cooperate very well in areas where we work together.' Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed hope that the difficult period in Turkey's relations with Europe has ended. He stated, 'Turkey and the EU are strategic partners in the long term, and it would be a great mistake for the EU to exclude Turkey from its enlargement policy.' Reuters reports that negotiations for Turkey's EU membership began in 2005, but these talks have now effectively reached a complete deadlock. According to this report, the EU states that Turkey's actions following the failed coup in the summer of 2016, including the suppression of dissent and restrictions on individual and civil liberties, have distanced Turkey from EU membership. Turkey's military intervention in Syria is another point of contention between the EU and Ankara.