EU commissioners visit Turkey to discuss 'sticky' issues, notably refugee crisis

Two top executives of the European Union are scheduled to hold talks with Turkish leaders in the capital city of Ankara, as European governments are feeling overwhelmed with the numbers of Europe-bound migrants escaping war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

EU High Representative and Vice-President (HR/VP) Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn will attend a Turkey-EU ministerial political dialogue meeting on Jan. 25, where Turkey will be represented by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu and EU Minister Volkan Bozk?r.

The key meeting in Ankara comes only a few days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted her Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, in Berlin on Jan. 22. The two leaders pledged to continue to work intensively together to solve Europe's migrant crisis - not only to stem the flow of people but to improve conditions in Turkey's refugee camps and to bring about a peace deal in Syria.

Merkel, meanwhile, reiterated her call for a European solution and promised Turkey 3 billion euros ($3.24 billion) in EU aid to cope with more than 2 million Syrian refugees in the country. 

As part of the visiting delegation, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides was scheduled to arrive in Turkey over the weekend in order to visit EU-funded humanitarian aid projects that assist mainly refugees from Syria and Iraq in the regions most affected by the crisis.

"The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the common challenges ahead as key partners and strategic allies in the region. In addition to dialogue with the authorities, HR/VP Mogherini and Commissioners Hahn and Stylianides will also meet with the representatives of the four...