Ms. Merkel, who has long opposed Turkey’s admission to the bloc, said she would support speeding up the process, a concession that underscored the importance European leaders place on Turkey’s cooperation in trying to contain what has become the largest flow of migrants since World War II, as people flee violence and deprivation in the Middle East and Africa.
“No country can shoulder the refugee burden alone,” Ms. Merkel said at a news conference with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey in Istanbul on Sunday. “The job has to be shared,” The New York Times reported.
Mr. Davutoglu continued to press for a “safe zone” in northern Syria, a longstanding priority for Turkey that has been met largely by silence from the international community, because it would require a substantial military operation.
“Our priority is to prevent illegal immigration and reduce the number of people crossing our borders. In that respect, we have had very fruitful discussions with the EU,” Mr. Davutoglu said.
He said he hoped that Turkish prime ministers could once again attend European Union summit meetings, noting that the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, went to one in 2004 as prime minister, but then such visits stopped. “We hope Turkey will take a place in the EU family photo,” Mr. Davutoglu said.
Turkey has long sought to join the European Union — formal talks began in 2005 — but the process has stalled in recent years, partly because of European concerns about Turkey’s human rights record and a government crackdown on the news media and freedom of expression.