EU enlargement chief to visit Turkey in July

By Zuhal Demirci

ANKARA

The European Union’s enlargement chief, Johannes Hahn, will visit Turkey for EU accession talks on July 6.

According to the EU Turkey Delegation, Ankara’s importance to the European Union will be underlined during the visit.

It will also be a follow-up to talks started on May 25, the statement added.

Johannes Hahn’s last visit to Turkey was in September 2016.

Turkey applied for membership to the EU in 1987; accession talks began in 2005.

Negotiations, however, hit a stalemate in 2007 because of Turkey’s position on the Cyprus issue. The German and French governments also opposed the country’s full EU membership.

To gain membership, Turkey has to successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters which involve reforms and the adoption of European standards.