Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara could “part ways” with the EU if necessary, following the release of a European Parliament report rejecting the possibility of Turkey joining the EU soon.
The report instead suggested the EU explore “a parallel and realistic framework,” such as a customs union, to determine its ties with Ankara. “The EU is trying to break away from Turkiye,” Erdogan told reporters. “We will make our evaluations against these developments and if necessary, we can part ways with the EU.”
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the European Parliament report contained unfounded allegations and prejudices and took “a shallow and non-visionary” approach to the country’s ties with the EU.
Visa liberalization, which would give Turkish citizens visa-free travel to the bloc for long periods, is a significant reason Turkey wishes to join the EU. Many Turkish citizens work in EU states, most notably Germany, and EU membership for Turkey would free them of the difficult bureaucratic process needed to obtain visas.
The European Parliament report follows renewed Turkish efforts to join the EU. Earlier this summer, President Erdogan sought to link Turkey’s EU accession to approving Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
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