site.btaSofia Forum Discusses EU-Turkey Relations after Varna Leaders' Meeting

Sofia, May 8 (BTA) - The prospects for relations between the EU and Turkey following a EU-Turkey leaders' meeting in Varna, and the role of Bulgaria, were discussed at a Sofia forum organized by PanEuropa Bulgaria and the Economic Development Foundation (IKV).

On March 26, the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna hosted a meeting which brought together European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The President of the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria, Solomon Passy, commented that the Varna meeting was a high point in the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council. He argued that Bulgaria can play a strategic role in the dialogue between Turkey and the EU. "We have been neighbours for centuries and this is not going to change, so Bulgaria has and will continue to have a key role," Passy added.

Turkish Ambassador Hasan Ulusoy said he was there in Varna during the meeting and saw for himself how timely it was for open dialogue at the highest level between the EU and Turkey. He said that was long overdue. He gave Bulgaria the credit for the meeting and called it "a good neighbour and ally".

He also said that his country has a half-century of experience with preparing for EU membership, and that it is not going to give up its strategic goal of becoming a full member of the EU.

The leader of IKV, Ayhan Zeytinoglu, said that the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council was an opportunity for energizing the relations between the two countries. He called the Varna meeting "a positive step for normalizing relations by restoring confidence".

He cited a survey showing that the majority of Turks support their country's accession to the EU even though not all of them expect this to happen in the near future.

The Turkish Ambassador to the EU, Faruk Kaymakci, said that EU enlargement brings peace, stability, security and prosperity. He pointed out that Turkey has not been invited to the upcoming meeting of the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans, and said that Turkey is part of the Balkans.

He argued that the concept of "Western Balkans" was devised by the EU in order to separate Turkey from the other candidate countries.

Kaymakci spoke about his country's role for halting the migrant flow to Europe and said that the process involved in the European financial support for the Syrian refugees, is somewhat slow.

The openness in the talks between the leaders of the EU and Turkey was also in the focus of the remarks by the head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, Ognyan Zlatev. "We appreciate the determination, expressed on several occasions including at the highest political level in Turkey, for Turkey to pursue its European prospects," said Zlatev.