President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Türkiye’s long standing bid to join the European Union depends primarily on Brussels’ strategic outlook rather than Ankara’s qualifications.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan stressed that the issue of Türkiye’s accession should be viewed through the lens of the EU’s future vision and geopolitical priorities. He argued that the bloc’s reluctance to admit Türkiye reflects broader strategic considerations within Brussels.
According to the Turkish leader, the EU’s ambition to become a stronger global actor cannot be realized without Türkiye as a full member. He warned that a union excluding Türkiye would struggle to position itself as a credible center of global power and influence.
Erdoğan also called on the EU to abandon what he described as double standards in its policies toward Türkiye. He emphasized that Ankara rejects being treated as a country that is only engaged when needed.
“We are not a country that is remembered when necessary, whose door is knocked on when needed, and set aside at other times and we never will be,” Erdoğan said.
Türkiye has maintained its EU candidacy for decades, but accession talks have stalled in recent years amid political tensions and differing priorities between Ankara and Brussels.
