EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is in Turkey to urge it to participate fully in the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria.
Ms Mogherini and other top EU officials will urge Turkey to stop the flow of foreign fighters across its borders.
She will emphasise the “strategic importance” of their relationship, a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a similar visit.
Ms Mogherini will also urge Turkey to support EU sanctions against Russia.
In an interview with the BBC’s Lyse Doucet, Ms Mogherini said that while the crisis in Syria was not something that could be solved from Brussels, the EU still had a role to play, including “the empowerment of more actors that might take the lead”.