Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and his delegation visited THEQC

ANKARA – The Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut and the Head of the Economic and Social Development Section of the Delegation First Counsellor Angel Gutierrez Hidalgo visited the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) and met with President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Elmas on 24 November 2020. 

During the meeting, the delegation was informed about THEQC’s activities and expressed their appreciation of THEQC’s evaluation of higher education institutions’ quality assurance systems as an independent body that complies with EHEA and is a member of ENQA. Prof. Dr. Elmas stated that the Council’s efforts for establishing flexible and dynamic quality assurance systems that can adapt to the EU and world standards by taking Turkey’s national priorities and agenda into account will improve thanks to the memberships in umbrella organizations and networks. 

The delegation wished Mr. Elmas and his team success in their endeavors and affirmed the EU’s support to the founding principles and vision of THEQC in Turkey. 

About the EU Delegation to Turkey: 

Ever since Turkey was declared an accession candidate by the European Council in December 1999, the relationship between Ankara and Brussels has constantly been developing. The Delegation of the European Union to Turkey seeks to meet the needs that rise from the intense and multidimensional ties, with around 180 Turkish and European Union experts working together to carry out this mission. 

Under the Lisbon Treaty that entered into force on 1 December 2009, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey has four main missions:

• In the external relations field, to report on Turkey’s foreign policy,
• To represent the European Union at diplomatic level,
• In relations to the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU, to monitor economic, financial and trade developments in Turkey, as well as the implementation of the Customs Union’s provisions, 
• In the framework of the EU accession negotiations, to monitor Turkey’s progress in meeting the requirements of the political criteria and the acquis and to assist the unfolding of the negotiations. 

As a diplomatic mission, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey operates under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and is managed by a Head of Delegation who is accredited to the President of the Republic of Turkey with the rank of ambassador.