Spanish premier pledges President Erdogan full support to Türkiye's EU accession process

VILNIUS, Lithuania

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday said he promised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Madrid will contribute to Ankara's EU accession process.

At a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania's capital Vilnius, Sanchez said during his meeting with Erdogan, he pledged to try to advance issues of interest to Türkiye regarding its accession to the EU during Spain's presidency of the bloc.

"… we have to see exactly how we can take steps along these months so that Türkiye can feel closer and not further away," he said.

He added that Spain "has always maintained a positive attitude" towards Türkiye’s two top priorities – visa liberalization and updating of the customs union.

As the holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, he said he told the Turkish president that Spain "will try to help so that these two issues go forward."

The prime minister praised the "privileged and strategic relationship" between Spain and Türkiye.