I am honored and delighted to have assumed my duties as the Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to theEuropean Unionon January 19, 2026.

Since I first started working on European Union issues at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995, I have proudly served in positions directly related to Türkiye’s accession process - for a total of 15 years throughout my career - and I take great satisfaction in being able to contribute once again to this field 31 years later.

Particularly in a world order rapidly evolving towards multipolarity, it is imperative to deepen our relations with the EU in many strategic areas such as security, defense, energy, trade and migration management, in line with our country's multidimensional, multilateral and international law-based foreign policy.

The foundation of these relations is undoubtedly our accession process to the European Union, which remains Türkiye’s strategic objective. Today, we are going through a period in which the EU’s enlargement policy has gained momentum and geopolitical realities have made enlargement an indispensable tool for the future of the Union. I see it as our shared responsibility to make the most of the window of opportunity offered by this new era and, in this spirit, to advance Türkiye-EU relations on the basis of common interests, mutual trust, and concrete cooperation.

Deepening Türkiye-EU relations in all areas of importance and achieving concrete results, while keeping Türkiye’s EU membership perspective alive, is not only important for Türkiye, but also for the EU to be an effective “geopolitical power” on a global scale.In this regard, I will continue our ongoing efforts to establish effective Türkiye-EU cooperation in addressing the challenges facing our region and beyond.

I will work resolutely, in close dialogue and cooperation with all stakeholders of our society, including our public institutions, academics, students, civil society organizations, business community, members of parliament, and colleagues, to elevate Türkiye-EU relations to the level which they deserve and to advance Türkiye’s accession process.

Embarking on this new journey with the excitement and responsibility of benefiting from your valuable support and contributions, I extend my warmest regards and respect to all.

Yaprak BALKAN

Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the European Union