Erdogan suggests that Turkey has the potential to separate from the European Union.

On Saturday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey suggested that Ankara might consider terminating its bid for European Union membership, indicating a potential divergence from the EU.

He informed journalists in Istanbul that the European Union is attempting to distance itself from Turkey. He mentioned this before departing for New York, where he will be present at the 78th UN General Assembly.

When questioned about the European Parliament report on Turkey, Erdogan stated that his team will assess the situation and potentially consider ending their association with the European Union.

Erdogan’s statement on Saturday came more than a week after Turkey’s foreign minister affirmed his country’s resolve to join the EU and urged the bloc to take courageous steps to advance its bid.

What was the subject matter of the European Parliament report?

The report, adopted earlier this week, said Turkey’s accession process with the EU cannot resume under current circumstances. It also called for the European Union to explore “a parallel and realistic framework” for its ties with Ankara.

The European Parliament report was criticized by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry for being “unfounded” and “based on disinformation.” The ministry also stated that the report included baseless accusations and biases, and had a narrow and short-sighted perspective on Turkey’s relationship with the EU.

The discussions between Turkey and the EU about joining the EU have been happening since 2005, but they are currently at a standstill due to the EU’s worries about the declining respect for legal principles and human rights in Turkey.

After being reelected in May, Erdogan urged for the resumption of talks to join the EU. In July, he proposed that the EU should accept Turkey into the bloc as a condition for Sweden’s membership in NATO.

dh/sms (dpa, Reuters)