Fidan meets EU internal affairs commissioner in New York on UNGA sidelines

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with European Union Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in New York on Monday, meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The encounter focused on migration flows, internal security coordination and the broader trajectory of bilateral ties, according to a social media post by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Migration and security portfolios

The meeting brought together two portfolios that have long anchored Ankara's engagement with Brussels. Brunner, an Austrian politician who assumed his Commission post in December 2024, oversees migration policy, border management and internal security — files that remain central to the 2016 refugee deal and ongoing negotiations over visa liberalization for Turkish citizens. Fidan, who previously served as head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization before becoming foreign minister in June 2023, has consistently emphasized operational cooperation with EU agencies on counter-terrorism and migration routes.

Diplomatic calendar

The 81st session of the General Assembly has drawn foreign ministers from across the globe to Manhattan, offering a venue for bilateral consultations outside the formal chamber. Fidan has represented Ankara at several such gatherings this week, holding separate talks with counterparts from the region and beyond. The Turkish delegation is expected to remain in New York through the high-level segment of the assembly, which concludes later this week.

Broader relationship context

Relations between Türkiye and the European Union have seen renewed technical engagement in recent months, though major breakthroughs on the customs union update or visa-free travel remain elusive. Monday's meeting followed a series of contacts between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s team. No joint statement was issued following the Fidan-Brunner talks, though both sides have signaled interest in expanding counter-terrorism coordination and addressing irregular migration across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.