The Cyprus issue should also be discussed in the context of Turkey’s EU accession process, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.

Kallas, who will visit Turkey tomorrow, will meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan and the Speaker of the Turkish National Assembly, Numan Kurtulmus, as well as with representatives of civil society and NGOs.

According to Turkish media reports, K. Kallas’ meetings with Turkish officials are expected to focus on EU-Turkey relations as well as the situation in the region – Syria, Gaza, Russia’s war against Ukraine.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, she said that “this is the right time for me to visit Turkey. We have many issues. We can discuss regional security, as well as various areas of cooperation, for example in energy. So there is definitely room for more cooperation.”

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy underlined that she sees Turkey as a strategically important actor and said they have many issues to discuss.

She pointed out that “both (Turkey and the EU) are interested in a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is our common interest regarding Syria. We also share the interest to develop this country in the right direction, there is also the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country,” he said.

On Turkey’s candidate country status, Kallas said that “this process is at a standstill and there are outstanding issues, according to the 27 member states that exist. Of course, the Cyprus issue, human rights, the rule of law, fundamental rights, are issues that we need to discuss. So these are our points of contact.”

Asked whether she believes that a European security system separate from NATO’s should be created, Ms. Kallas noted that “we should not duplicate what NATO is already doing. We have 27 armies in the EU and they all have to contribute in order to have this collective defence in which we work together with each other.”

She pointed out that therefore “it is not that we need a European army, but we need these 27 members to work together very well.”

She also explained that 23 of the EU member states are also members of NATO, and “that also makes us normal partners.” “But of course, there are more allies in NATO with whom we need to work, and Turkey is one of them,” he noted.