Turkey's Erdogan, EU Leadership Discuss Joint Steps to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic - Ankara

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2021) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed cooperation on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with the heads of the European Commission and European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, during a video conference, the presidential office said on Friday.

"During the talks, the sides discussed the development of relations between Turkey and the EU, as well as joint steps to combat the [coronavirus] pandemic," the presidential office said in a statement.

The Turkish leader also expressed hope that the report on his country, which is set to be presented at the EU summit next week, would contain objective and constructive proposals on the future relations between Brussels and Ankara.

"Having stressed that in order to advance cooperation, it is necessary to launch all mechanisms and resume high-level dialogue, president Erdogan noted that the renewal of the migration agreement [signed on] March 18 [in 2016] is the basis for positive work on the agenda," the statement read.

Under the widely-criticized migration pact, which marks its fifth anniversary this year, Turkey pledged to stem the migration flow from the south in exchange for 6 billion Euros ($7.2 billion) in aid. Despite strong criticism toward the deal, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell this week defended it as "the key framework for cooperation on migration."