EU tells Erdogan they have common interests but also challenges

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attends the news conference at Euxinograd residence, near Varna

The European Union is worried over President Tayyip Erdogan’s adherence to the rule of law at home and his actions in Syria and in the east Mediterranean but will go on offering its support for Syrian refugees, the bloc’s senior officials said.

“Our meeting today demonstrated that while our relationship is going through difficult times, in areas where we do cooperate, we cooperate well,” European Council President Donald Tusk told reporters after an EU-Turkey summit in Varna.

“We reconfirm our readiness to keep up the dialogue and conversation and work together to overcome current difficulties with a view to unleashing the potential of our partnership.”