Turkey has been invited to an informal meeting of European Union (EU) foreign ministers. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Brussels on August 29. This is the first invitation in five years. The significance of the invitation will be discussed from various perspectives.
These meetings, known by the special name “Gimnig”, take place once per EU Presidency.
The Gymnig meeting differs from other EU summits in that it generally focuses on the EU's foreign policy and security strategy. Its goal is to develop a common strategy and vision among member states regarding foreign policy objectives. When setting the agenda for the meeting, priority is given to crisis areas affecting the EU, especially in foreign policy.
No formal decisions are made at these meetings, and no joint declarations are issued, but the topics chosen and the content of the discussions are important for understanding the positions of the countries involved.
The recent European Parliament elections saw far-right parties gain strength, and the outcome will have an impact on key national and EU-wide issues, particularly foreign policy priorities.
Europe is closely watching the results of the US elections. Transatlantic relations, defense, foreign policy and economic issues will be affected by the outcome of these elections. In particular, the outcome of the war in Ukraine, which directly affects Europe, will depend on whether Donald Trump or Kamal Harris wins. Another topic of direct concern to Europe is Israel's ambition to expand the Middle East war into the region.
The rise of the far-right has fuelled anti-foreigner and anti-immigrant sentiment, creating new crises that are becoming a determining factor for Europe's decision-making mechanisms and policy direction.
As regional and global uncertainties grow, Turkey's position in the EU's foreign policy and security strategy becomes increasingly important, which is why EU countries are aware of the need to strengthen their ties with Turkey.
Turkey welcomed the invitation to the EU meeting after a five-year hiatus as a “positive” step, which was seen as a sign that the EU was seeking a new dialogue.
However, it is not enough to simply recognize Turkey's importance in foreign policy and defense issues or to deepen ties in these areas.
Turkey also looks forward to high-level dialogue on other issues, such as revitalizing the accession process, updating the customs union, the visa liberalization process, etc. Moreover, Turkey seeks a sustainable and predictable relationship based on rational grounds.
In recent years, some EU politicians have made unfounded statements such as “Turkey is the biggest threat to Europe.” In contrast to such populist rhetoric, Turkey's strategic importance to the future of Europe becomes clearer with each new global challenge.
Europe should not view Turkey's decentralized regional and global initiatives as a threat. Despite the EU's double standards to date, Turkey has acted rationally and in line with its interests.
Turkey's invitation to the EU conference for the first time in five years is significant, but whether this invitation marks the beginning of a new era will depend more on the attitude of the EU countries than on Turkey.
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