Christos Stylianides

The EU's foreign policy chief did not raise any criticism or proposals for the alignment of Turkey's foreign policy with the EU, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, in reply to remarks by Federica Mogherini.

EU wants "greater alignment" from Turkey

ANKARA -- The EU and Turkey need greater "alignment" on foreign policy "to tackle threats including Islamic State," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has said.

The European Union and Turkey have drifted apart on foreign policy and need greater "alignment" to tackle threats including Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the EU's foreign policy chief said on Dec. 8.

Ankara has called on the EU to “make visible” the dialogue between Ankara and Brussels, by inviting Turkish leaders to EU meetings and taking them into EU family photographs.

New European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was to meet Turkish leaders Dec. 8 for talks expected to focus partly on the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in neighboring Syria.

"The Syrian crisis is going to be one of the key issues on her agenda," an EU official told AFP on Dec. 8. Turkey's EU membership ambitions were also up for discussion.

The issue of updating the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU will be on the agenda of a visit from three EU officials to Ankara, sources tell HDN The issue of updating the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU to reflect Ankara’s concerns about the EU’s free trade agreements with third parties will be on the agenda of a visit from three high ranking EU officials to Ankara on Dec.

Three high ranking EU officials will visit Ankara next week to discuss Turkey's EU membership and the Cyprus dispute, Turkey's EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır announced on Dec. 4.

The European Commission is to increase its humanitarian assistance and recovery aid to Ukraine in order to meet the immediate needs of inhabitants of the conflict-ridden region.

The EU is providing an additional EUR 3.3 M to help those most affected by the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine in view of the approaching winter.