BRUSSELS
Türkiye's Ambassador to the EU Faruk Kaymakci on Friday stressed that Turkish-EU relations are not limited to migration and focus on broader cooperation, speaking at the opening of a photo exhibit on Syrian refugees held in front of the European Parliament.
The exhibition, titled "One life, one story,” showcasing the Syrian refugees rebuilding their lives in Türkiye, was inaugurated by the EU Delegation to Türkiye in front of the European Parliament in Brussels to mark World Refugee Day.
In addition to Kaymakci, the event drew the participation of Thomas Hans Ossowski, head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, as well as EU Deputy Director-General for Enlargement Simon Mordue and various guests.
Speaking at the opening, Ossowski underscored the importance of remembering the personal stories behind refugee statistics and praised the EU-Türkiye partnership for enabling dignity and opportunity for millions.
Kaymakci emphasized Türkiye's ongoing efforts to host over 2.5 million Syrians – more than any other country in the world – pointing to the healthcare, education, and social services provided to them.
He said the return of Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime last December should be voluntary, safe, and dignified, and underlined the need to resume high-level dialogue between Ankara and Brussels.
"Türkiye-EU relations is not limited to migration. We are a candidate country, and we should also invest in other areas in the best interest of both Türkiye and the EU and rest of Europe," he said.
Türkiye applied for EU membership in 1987 and its accession talks began in 2005.
In the years since, talks have been essentially frozen due to political roadblocks by certain EU members, for reasons unrelated to its suitability for membership, according to Ankara.
