European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed a wide range of issues at a trilateral working dinner in Ankara — from bilateral EU-Turkey relations to regional developments.

According to Report's European bureau, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said this at a press conference in Brussels.

According to him, the talks included EU-Turkey cooperation in defense, migration and mobility, trade, and industrial policy.

“Particular attention was paid to geopolitical issues, including the situation around Cyprus, the war in Ukraine, relations and the situation in the South Caucasus, as well as developments in the Middle East,” the European Commission spokesperson said, without disclosing details of the discussions.

Commenting on the topic of Cyprus, Gill recalled that the European Union considers it necessary to make use of the “renewed momentum” to advance a settlement of the Cyprus issue within the framework of the UN-led process. At the same time, he declined to speak about Erdoğan’s reaction, noting that this question should be addressed to the Turkish side.

After the meeting, European Council President António Costa said that the EU and Turkey are strategic partners and intend to strengthen their relations. According to him, amid growing international instability, the partnership is becoming even more important, and Turkey remains an important partner in resolving crises in the Middle East and supporting efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Gill also commented on the gift (personalized pistols with engraving, ed.) that Erdoğan presented to the participants of the NATO summit. According to him, von der Leyen thanked the Turkish president for the gesture. The gifted firearms will be transported safely and placed in storage, and after deactivation the President of the European Commission intends to transfer them to a military museum.