EU Makes a Mistake, Says Erdogan

The European Union is making a mistake by forcing Turkey to wait for years for membership, while simultaneously granting candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Upon returning from Hungary, Erdogan reminded reporters that candidate status in the EU does not obligate these countries to be accepted as full members. “Turkey is not among those countries. After this, the EU must properly evaluate Turkey's position. It is wrong to keep Turkey, which is much better prepared for EU membership than many other countries, waiting at the door for years,” Erdogan asserted.

According to him, the EU has been delaying Turkey’s accession with “various pretexts” for years, even though Ankara has long been ready for this both strategically and economically, and it has become increasingly clear in recent years how “important and influential Turkey is.”

“It is time for the European Union to correct this mistake. Perhaps this issue will be discussed differently at the negotiating table, and new steps may be taken during Hungary's presidency in the EU Council,” Erdogan noted. Hungary will assume the EU Council presidency starting July 1, 2024.