Foreign minister: Turkey to accelerate EU reforms

Turkey’s foreign minister says his country will accelerate reforms linked to its bid to join the European Union, and that it wants the 28-nation bloc to respond positively to its efforts.

Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments Wednesday at the end of a high-level meeting convened to identify steps to advance Turkey‘s accession bid, after a three-year interval.

The “Reform Action Group” meeting came as Turkey reaches out to Europe amid a currency crisis and tensions with the United States and amid signs that Ankara intends to revive its stalled membership bid.

Cavusoglu told reporters: “We have agreed to accelerate the political reform process. In the upcoming term, we will focus on issues such as the judiciary and fundamental rights, justice, and freedoms and security.”