Fidan says Turkey still sees full EU membership as a strategic goal

Turkey will systematically address all issues hindering the development of its relations with the European Union, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a joint press conference in Ankara with Kyrgyz counterpart Jeenbek Kulubayev.

Fidan said that, under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, all Turkish state institutions are working in a coordinated manner to strengthen ties with the European Union.

According to Fidan, Turkey’s full membership in the European Union remains a strategic objective.

He noted that the country’s foreign ministry, as the body responsible for coordinating relations with the EU, will continue its efforts to advance both Turkey’s accession process and the existing mechanisms of cooperation with the bloc.

He added that Turkey has no major problems in its bilateral political, economic and trade relations with most EU member states.