Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets is on a visit to Turkey

Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets is on a visit to Turkey until Friday. Today she met with her Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavușoǧlu and Akif Çaǧatay Kilic, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Turkey. The minister also met with Estonia's honorary consuls in Turkey, and plans to get an overview of the work of the Estonian embassy in Ankara and visit the refugee camp in Adana.

"In the current tense security situation, it is crucial to have close communication with allies to make preparations for potential developments together and discuss our common approach. Both Estonia and Turkey are NATO's frontier states, so we understand each other's assessments and positions well. However, these meetings are a chance to get an insight into each other's security perception at the highest level and reinforce relations. Turkey has been a good partner for Estonia in NATO and bilateral relations, and despite our different history and geography, our cooperation has been smooth. In addition to security in Europe, it is important to discuss Turkey's views on the situation in its region, such as in Syria, Afghanistan and Libya," Foreign Minister Liimets said.

Turkey is an active participant in the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence based in Tallinn. They have also taken part in a Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania and we are ready to host them at the Ämari air base in Estonia.

Economic relations between the two countries are lively and growing again after the downturn brought on by the pandemic. Turkish nationals are also keen users of Estonia's e-residency programme and have been actively doing business in Estonia. Reopening direct flights between Tallinn and Istanbul has contributed greatly to business activities between Estonia and Turkey.

Estonia is a firm supporter of European Union enlargement and therefore, we support the candidate status of Turkey and the implementation of reforms needed on this path. Turkey has been an important partner for the European Union and helped control the migrant crisis on the Mediterranean over the years. Late last year, Turkey helped European Union member states Lithuania, Latvia and Poland deal with the hybrid attack by Belarus by limiting transit flights from the Middle East to Minsk.

Turkey has also been key to stopping migration to the European Union and has admitted millions of migrants. Estonia, in turn, has contributed €4.3 million to the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey. Additionally, Estonia has helped alleviate the situation of Syrian refugees in Turkey through international humanitarian aid organisations and bilateral projects.

On Friday 21 January, Minister Liimets will visit the refugee centre in Adana, where 17 900 people, including 9000 children, are currently living.

"Life in cramped conditions far away from home is difficult for everyone. This is why the European Union and its partners must contribute to the stability and development of its neighbouring regions and states, so that people would not need to embark on a long and dangerous journey into the unknown, and could lead safe and sufficiently prosperous lives at home," Liimets said.

Additional information:

Mihkel Tamm
Director General
Communication Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
[phone]