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Türkiye is a decisive actor contributing to regional stability and connectivity, the European Commission’s Director-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman said Monday.
Koopman spoke at the EU–Türkiye Business Summit held in Brussels, organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK) and the European Business Summit (EBS).
He emphasized that Türkiye and the EU share the same geography and that their economies are “deeply intertwined,” while historical ties also play a significant role.
Koopman underlined that Türkiye is an EU candidate country, a NATO ally and one of the EU’s key partners in trade and multiple areas of mutual interest.
He also described Türkiye as a reliable partner on migration management and counterterrorism.
“Türkiye is a decisive actor contributing to regional stability,” he said. “It also provides critical support for regional connectivity.”
Koopman noted that Türkiye’s geographic position makes it a key country regarding issues such as Syria, Russia’s war on Ukraine and efforts to establish lasting peace in the South Caucasus.
He stated that the EU and Türkiye share common interests in deepening cooperation and highlighted the importance of sustained dialogue.
Koopman said there is far greater potential to improve dialogue between the two sides and stressed the need to advance, particularly in economic partnership.
Koopman said work on the EU–Türkiye Customs Union Agreement remains important.
“If constructive engagement continues and we see progress toward resuming negotiations on the Cyprus issue, efforts to modernize the Customs Union will also restart,” he said. “This would help reshape the full potential of EU–Türkiye relations.”
He also said visa policies remain a key issue for the business community, noting that recent steps on visa tiering offer more favorable rules for granting long-term, multiple-entry visas.
Koopman added that predictability and reliability are essential for businesses, and stressed the importance of maintaining the highest democratic standards in Türkiye.
“Europe is not only a political project,” he said. “It is a shared vision of living together, common prosperity and peace. Türkiye, with its history and dynamism, is an integral part of this vision.”
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