EU Commission head to visit only Türkiye, no plans for other regional stops

BRUSSELS

Türkiye is a key regional player, European Commission Chief Spokeswoman Paula Pinho said on Thursday, confirming that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's upcoming trip to Ankara will not be extended to any other country.

Speaking to the press about von der Leyen's visit to Ankara to discuss developments in Syria, Pinho responded to questions from journalists.

When asked whether von der Leyen would be accompanied by European Council President Antonio Costa or High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Pinho said she did not yet have that information.

Addressing questions on whether von der Leyen would visit another regional country, Pinho stated that the visit would be limited to Türkiye.

Pinho stated that von der Leyen's visit, following her recent discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will focus on the situation in Syria, its implications for the region, and other related issues, highlighting Türkiye's pivotal role in the area.

Von der Leyen had a phone call with Erdogan on Dec. 10, after which she announced her upcoming visit to Türkiye early next week.

Following the Nov. 27 outbreak of clashes between anti-regime groups and Assad regime forces, Bashar Assad and his family fled to Russia on Sunday after anti-regime groups took control of the capital Damascus, marking the collapse of the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.