President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renewed calls for the European Union to restart accession talks with Turkey, asserting that the bloc would benefit from admitting what he described as a “dynamic and solution-oriented” member, EU Today reports.
Speaking on Monday, Erdogan said that the EU “should not wait even a day” to revive and advance negotiations on Turkey’s membership. His comments were carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency.
“We expect them [EU leaders] to realise that it is impossible to move forward in relations with such an ambiguous position as we have seen so many times before,” Erdogan said. “Considering the developments in Europe and its surroundings, as well as disagreements within the EU itself, it will become clear that the Union needs a member like Turkey – dynamic and focused on solving problems”.
He added: “As Turkey, we are ready for full membership.”
Erdogan also urged the EU to shed what he called “outdated and dogmatic political views,” suggesting that doing so could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the Union’s history. He did not specify which policies or positions he considered to be outdated.
Turkey’s EU accession process has been effectively frozen since 2018. Talks formally began in 2005 after Turkey gained candidate status in 1999, having first applied for membership in 1987 to the then-European Economic Community. However, negotiations have faced repeated delays and stagnation due to ongoing concerns over democratic backsliding, the state of human rights, the independence of the judiciary, and Turkey’s foreign policy stance – particularly in relation to Cyprus, a member state of the EU.
Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական բանականության միջոցով