Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, speaking on Saturday, suggested that Ankara might consider a separation from the European Union if circumstances demand, in response to questions regarding a recent European Parliament report on Turkey.
The report, adopted in the preceding week, concluded that Turkey’s path towards EU membership cannot progress under the current conditions and advocated for the EU to explore alternative and pragmatic frameworks for its relationship with Ankara.
For the past 24 years, Turkey has maintained official candidate status for EU membership, but negotiations have stagnated recently due to the EU’s concerns regarding human rights violations and adherence to the rule of law.
Erdogan remarked, “The EU is making efforts to distance itself from Turkey,” as he addressed reporters before departing for the United States. He continued, “We will assess these developments and, if necessary, we are prepared to part ways with the EU.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry had earlier criticized the European Parliament report, characterizing it as containing baseless accusations and biases while taking a narrow and short-sighted approach to the country’s relationship with the EU.
