Türkiye says it wants to kick-start shelved talks to join EU

Türkiye wants to kick-start talks about joining the European Union and expects the EU to take the first steps in this direction, Report informs via foreign media.

"All we need is to allow us to continue on a journey that is so relevant in terms of wholesale transformation," Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said at a summit in Austria on Thursday. "We look up to EU as source of inspiration for change. That is the best alternative out there."

He listed inclusion of some of Türkiye's agricultural goods and services into the system of EU's customs union as the first necessary steps for possible membership.

According to Bloomberg, Türkiye seeks to attract more foreign investors and countries to help boost its economic problems caused by surging inflation.

The EU and Türkiye started accession negotiations in 2005. Though the process stalled, Türkiye has remained a key economic and defense partner for the bloc. The two sides have also had to work on immigration, with Türkiye being a key route for people trying to reach Europe.