Erol Bilecik, the Chairman of Turkey’s top capitalist organization TÜSİAD, stated that it is time to improve relations with Europe and that the Turkish government should waste no time in taking steps to normalize tensions between Ankara and the European Union (EU).
Issuing statements to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Bilecik said, "Believe me, if Turkey wants to ease tensions and take steps toward reconciliation, things will change. Because Europe already does not want to lose Turkey. The business world of both sides [Turkey and the EU] is looking forward to the improvement of relations."
"And if we award steps towards reconciliation by launching negotiations on the revision of EU’s Custom Union, then the year of 2018 will become one of new hope, a year of new beginnings for us," he claimed.
Meanwhile, a message came from Brussels, where the atmosphere had previously led to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying "I wish 2018 will be a year of ‘détente’ with the EU".
The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker stated that "We should continue to communicate with Turkey, even though it is rapidly diverging from the EU’s values. Of course, we would help Turkey, if Turkey wants to forge closer ties with the EU", although he added that under the existing circumstances it is not possible for Turkey to be an EU member.
Regarding Turkey’s EU membership, after meeting with Erdoğan last week in Paris, the French President Macron had said that there would not be a membership negotiation nor would there be full membership for Turkey due to its existing political situation.
