Have the article read by OpenAI (Beta). Please note that AI translations may take some time to process.Brussels (dpa) – The European Union is not ruling out cancelling planned talks with Türkiye, a European Commission spokesman said in Brussels on Monday.
The spokesman pointed to a statement by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen which described the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the suspended mayor of Istanbul and long-time rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as “deeply concerning.”
Discussions with Türkiye had been announced by von der Leyen just days before İmamoğlu was initially taken into detention on Wednesday. They were to focus on economic themes in April, followed by further talks on migration and security issues.
At an EU summit in April last year, there was agreement on strengthening ties with Türkiye, which is seen as having a key role in stabilising the Eastern Mediterranean region and in finding solutions to migration problems.
Plans to modernize the customs union and liberalize the issuing of visas had previously been delayed by concerns on rights and freedom of expression in Türkiye. (24 March)
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