Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Warsaw on Thursday to attend an informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers, known as the Gymnich meeting, at the invitation of the bloc, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said on Monday.
Fidan is expected to meet with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from EU member states, candidate countries, and potential candidates. His participation follows a similar appearance in August 2023, the first such invitation extended to Turkey in five years, seen as a move to revitalize EU-Turkey relations.
The meeting is aimed at enhancing dialogue between Ankara and Brussels and advancing Turkey’s stalled EU accession process. Discussions are also set to cover regional security challenges, with a focus on strengthening resilience against hybrid threats.
Fidan is expected to underline the importance of strategic NATO-EU cooperation for European security, emphasizing the need for closer coordination and information-sharing in countering hybrid threats. He will also reiterate Turkey’s position that terrorism constitutes a major hybrid threat and that Ankara’s counterterrorism efforts contribute to regional stability.
Ankara will press for stronger and more tangible support from EU partners in this area and advocate for the inclusion of non-EU actors—such as Turkey—in initiatives aimed at boosting the EU’s defense capabilities, citing Turkey’s advanced defense industry and military experience.
Turkey is also expected to reiterate calls for the EU to take concrete steps toward revitalizing bilateral ties, including the modernization of the Customs Union, addressing visa liberalization, and maintaining structured dialogue mechanisms.
Fidan is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the margins of the event.
Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987 and was granted candidate status in 1999. Accession talks began in 2005 but have stalled since 2007, largely due to the Cyprus dispute and opposition from several member states.
