The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Lucian BODE, paid an official visit to Ankara on January 24th, 2022, at the invitation of the Turkish Minister of the Interior, Mr. Süleyman SOYLU.
On the occasion of the visit, the two ministers reviewed the current status of bilateral cooperation in the field of internal affairs and the prospects for its consolidation and diversification.
Excellent relations in the field of internal affairs, as part of the Strategic Partnership established in 2011, contribute to ensuring stability and security in the region.
The bilateral dialogue focused in particular upon the further deepening of measures to combat illegal migration, with an emphasis on preventing new illegal migration routes through the Black Sea. In this context, Minister BODE thanked his Turkish counterpart for the openness and support given over time in the management of security challenges, stressing upon the importance of expanding cooperation especially in areas such as cross-border crime and illegal migration.
From his part, Minister SOYLU expressed his appreciation for the high level of bilateral relations of friendship, based on trust, and mutual support.
This high level materialized in 2022 through an intensification of the dialogue at the level of the chiefs of arms of the two states, as well as operational and training activities. Both interlocutors highlighted the professionalism of law enforcement in the two states, which led to an increase in the level of safety of citizens and the effective fight against illegal migration.
Continuing the discussions furthermore, the two interior ministers highlighted the need to intensify the bilateral exchange of information and joint actions, especially with the ones regarding combating cross-border crime, illegal migration and migrant smuggling. Moreover, in 2023 as well, an important number of joint training activities and working visits are scheduled both in Romania and in Turkey.
Another aspect discussed during the meeting concerned the joint organization and conduct of exercises between the structures within the two ministries, especially between the structures responsible for managing emergency situations or the management of maritime borders.
Last but not least, the very good cooperation within SELEC (South-Eastern European Law Enforcement Centre) was highlighted, especially in the areas of human trafficking and migrant trafficking, as well as in the area of drug trafficking, with the counterparts carrying out an exchange of opinions refering to strengthening the Center’s activity.
At the end of the meeting, the interlocutors emphasized upon the strengthening of the strategic dimension of cooperation, through the establishment of a Romania-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
