Erdogan announced his readiness "break" with the EU if necessary

In response to the criticism contained in the European Parliament report, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his readiness to “break” with the European Union if necessary.

How writes Reuters, a report adopted this week said Turkey’s process of joining the 27-member bloc could not resume under current circumstances. It also calls for EU explore “parallel and realistic frameworks” for its ties with Ankara.

Turkey has been an official candidate for membership of the European Union for 24 years, but membership negotiations have stalled in recent years due to EU concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law in the country.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the European Parliament’s report contained unfounded accusations and prejudices, as well as a “superficial and short-sighted” approach to the country’s ties with the EU. Erdogan noted:

“The EU is trying to break away from Turkey. We will evaluate these events and, if necessary, we can break with the EU.”

Earlier, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that he could not imagine Turkey as a member of the EU and called for a final end to the frozen accession negotiations.

Source link