European Union President Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker will talk with Erdogan at the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Varna with a litany of problems clouding their discussions.

Topic expected to be high on the agenda include the crackdown in Turkey after July 2016’s failed coup, Ankara’s demands for visa liberalisation and the near-endless saga of the country’s own EU membership bid. And a row over Greece and Cyprus that erupted last week has added another point of contention just days before the talks.

Before departing Istanbul for Bulgaria, Erdogan said Turkey was still seeking to become a full EU member and blasted the bloc for what he said were “double standards” towards Ankara.

“EU membership continues to be our strategic target,” Erdogan said.

But Erdogan added: “We are going to remind them (Tusk and Juncker) once more that Turkey will not tolerate hypocrisy.”

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said it was expected to be “a very difficult meeting”.

Juncker said he was “looking with mixed feelings towards the summit because the differences in views between the EU and Turkey are many”. But he added that “we will have a frank and open debate with President Erdogan”.

Temperatures were raised last week after EU leaders condemned Turkey ‘s “illegal actions” towards Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Ankara hit back at the “unacceptable comments” and said the EU had lost its objectivity on Cyprus, which is divided between the Greek-majority internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north.

The statement on Thursday by the 28 EU members meeting in Brussels condemned Turkey over Ankara’s arrest of two Greek soldiers and its promise to prevent the Greek Cypriot government from exploring for oil and gas. Ankara and Brussels had in March 2016 agreed a controversial deal to stop the flow of migrants, in what was seen as a landmark in cooperation and which Turkey hoped would yield visa free travel to Europe.

So far this incentive has not been realised and Erdogan is expected to press this point strongly in the talks.