EU reaffirms Turkey’s strategic importance for bloc

EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini stressed on Friday the importance of relations between EU and Turkey, calling it “a partner of strategic importance to EU.”

“We reaffirmed importance we attach to relations with Turkey which is a candidate country, a partner of strategic importance to EU,” Mogherini told Turkey-EU Association Council meeting in Brussels.

She also said the cooperation between Turkey and the EU is important both for Syrian refugees and a political solution in the civil war-weary country.

On Turkey’s fight against terrorism, Mogherini said the EU will maintain its support for Turkey’s counter-terror efforts.

“EU lists PKK as a terrorist group and this is not a discussion among member states,” she said.

In its 30-year terrorist campaign against Turkey, the PKK has taken some 40,000 lives, including women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.

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