Turkish President, new EU commission head discuss Syria

ISTANBUL

The new president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday on her first day in office.

The two discussed Turkey’s accession to the EU, March 18, 2016 agreement between the sides regarding support to the Syrians in Turkey, and voluntary return of Syrians to the safe zone being established by Turkish administration in northern Syria.

In a Twitter post, Von der Leyen said she started her first day in the office with courtesy phone calls to G7/G20 families, saying they "have to work together" to tackle global challenges.

Turkey and the EU signed a refugee deal in March 2016, which aimed to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by taking stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the conditions of nearly three million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

* Writing and contribution by Ali Murat Alhas from Ankara