European Union–Turkey relations

France is leading a push for European Union sanctions on Turkey next month to follow through on a threat made by the bloc in October, but has yet to win support from EU governments beyond Greece and Cyprus, officials and diplomats said.

The European Union has to correct its mistakes on its position over the ongoing row in the eastern Mediterranean and engage in a constructive dialogue with Turkey, Turkey's top diplomat has said, suggesting that the entire Europe will suffer if it fails to do so.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that Turkey sees itself as a part of Europe, but he called on the European Union to "keep your promises" on issues such as the country's membership bid and refugees.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu sent letters on Aug. 13 to European Union foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey's approach on the issue.  

The letters came ahead of a EU Foreign Relations Council meeting on Aug. 14 at Greece's request.

The European Commission has proposed to gradually lift travel ban from July 1 for non-EU citizens coming from countries where the epidemiological situation is the same or better than that in the EU.

The detailed list will be announced later, Ylva Johansson, EU commissioner for home affairs, told reporters on June 11.

The European Commission on June 3 proposes to release a payment of €485 million ($545 million) for Turkey to support Syrian refugees in 2020.

The institution presented a budget amendment on June 3 suggesting "to top up support for refugees and host communities in response to the Syria crisis by a total of €585 million."

The European Union and Turkey got closer during the fight against novel coronavirus, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, a senior Turkish official said on May 22. 

Turkey and Germany have been engaged in talks for cooperation in the field of tourism for the coming season as the former says Turkish resorts are the safest destinations for European tourists as the country has taken the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

The European Parliament (EP) on May 14 rejected a proposal by some of its lawmakers that would have cut pre-accession funds for Turkey.

"Today, the European Parliament has largely voted against suspending IPA fund for Turkey," Spanish lawmaker Nacho Sanchez Amor wrote on Twitter.

The European Commission on May 8 proposed extending restrictions on travel to the EU until June 15.

EU countries in mid-March adopted restrictions on non-EU nationals entering bloc territory in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, and extended the ban in April.