POLITICO: EU seeks to restore ties with Türkiye as key Ukraine partner

After years of viewing Türkiye as a challenge, the European Union is increasingly seeing it as part of the solution, according to POLITICO.

As talks for peace in Ukraine gain momentum, Türkiye’s potential role in shaping the post-war order — particularly as a peacekeeper and a regional powerbroker in the Black Sea — positions it as a key EU partner.

Yet Brussels is proceeding cautiously with Türkiye. In a bid to ease tensions, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos is scheduled to visit Türkiye on February 6.

Ahead of her trip, Kos told POLITICO in a written statement: "Peace in Ukraine will change the realities in Europe, especially in the Black Sea region. Türkiye will be a very important partner for us."

She added that preparing for peace and stability in Europe requires building a strong partnership with Türkiye.

Türkiye is a military heavyweight, boasting NATO’s second-largest armed forces and a pivotal strategic location in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Ankara’s control of the Bosphorus gives it significant influence over regional security, and it played a central role in brokering the Black Sea deal in July 2022 that allowed safe passage for ships carrying Ukrainian grain.

With a population of 88 million, the country has expressed willingness to deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine if an agreement with Russia is reached, and to take a leading role in Black Sea security.

By Jeyhun Aghazada