ISTANBUL: All interested parties want the update of the EU-Turkey Customs Union agreement and the visa liberalization to enter into force,” European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said late Friday.
During a press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Katainen said they held the second of the EU-Turkey High Level Economic Dialogue meetings, stressing the strategic importance of these meetings for both Turkey and the EU.
Indicating that Turkish-EU relations need further improvement, Katainen said: “The EU wants to see Turkey as a strong partner with stable growth, a country that has respect for fundamental values such as the rule of law and as a strong partner in which it can work together in international trials.”
Katainen said that the EU would like to advance its trade relations with Turkey, indicating the increased commercial relations between the two parties would increase employment and would be beneficial to everyone.
The EU-Turkey High Level Economic Dialogue meeting provides a great platform for strategic discussions, Katainen said. “Through this meeting, we would like to expand bilateral and mutual understanding and create a proactive agenda for the many dimensions that shape Turkey-EU cooperation.”
Katainen said that the commission consulted with Turkish and EU businesspeople and that “both sides have expressed their wishes for the modernization of the customs union and the enactment of visa liberalization.”
He noted that Turkish-EU relations have recently undergone a tumultuous process, and therefore, the commission has not been authorized to update the agreement.
Katainen said that the process to revitalize the modernization of the customs union can be re-launched. “The customs union is not a gift to Turkey from the EU. It benefits both Turkey and the EU. It facilitates trade and free movement of goods and creates jobs.”
The existing problems between Turkey and the EU are more political and must be resolved by political decision makers, so both parties must build a future-oriented agenda, he said.
In its Dec. 21, 2016 assessment, the commission proposed the modernization of the current deal, which covers a limited range of industrial products and excludes agriculture, public procurement and services. Explaining that the upgrade of Turkey-EU trade relations forms an essential part of both side’s efforts to deepen relations in key areas of common interest, the commission reiterated its resolution to continue delivering on commitments it has made as part of the deal with Ankara.
