EUROPEAN Union chiefs made a rare visit to Turkey today as the trading bloc looks for a rapprochement with the nation, despite its government’s continued aggression against Kurds and oppression of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel arrived in the Turkish capital for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has insisted he wants to “turn a new page” with Brussels.

EU officials insisted that the talks would “not be a moment for negotiations” but an opportunity for both sides to lay out their expectations and terms for improved ties.