Erdogan: Turkey Tired of EU Membership Process

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara is “tired” of its sluggish European Union membership process, noting that it cannot indefinitely be requesting to join the bloc.

His comments on Friday came during a visit to Paris, where he held talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, Al Jazeera reported.

“We cannot continuously ask the EU, ‘please take us, too’ now,” Erdogan said during a joint news conference, accusing the bloc of leaving Turkey “waiting outside the door” of the bloc for decades.

Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community, a precursor to the EU, in 1987. It became eligible for EU membership in 1997 and accession talks began in 2005. However, these negotiations have been practically frozen, with no progress made in recent years.

“When we ask for the reason, the EU cannot tell us. And, at first they were preventing us via 15 [EU policy] chapters; later the number of the chapters regarding us was increased to 35.”

In order to become a member of the bloc, Turkey has to successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters that involve reforms and the adoption of European standards.

  Real Focus on Turkey-EU Ties

Macron also struck a pessimistic tone about Turkey’s stalled EU bid, saying the dialogue between the two sides should perhaps be “rethought ... not in the framework of membership but maybe of cooperation or partnership”.

“Recent developments and choices do not allow any progress,” the French president said, noting, however, that “as France, we believe that future of Turkey and Turkish people should be in Europe”.

A number of EU member states have condemned the Turkish government’s arrests and purges of tens of thousands of people after a failed coup attempt in July 2016. Local and international rights groups have accused Ankara of using the putsch bid as a pretext to silence opposition in the country.

The government has said the purges and detentions are aimed at removing from state institutions and other parts of society the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based, self-exiled religious leader blamed by Ankara for the attempted coup.

“Turkey is ruled by law,” Erdogan said at the press conference. “Europe always tells us that judiciary must be independent. Well, in Turkey, our judiciary is independent. They make their own decisions independently.”

For his part, Macron said “democracy must be strong against terrorism because the legitimacy of the state means it must protect its citizens. But at the same time our democracies must respect the rule of law”.

Erdogan’s visit to France was his first since the failed coup attempt, and one of only a handful to Europe. He was confronted by a dozen human rights protesters who attempted to block his arrival to Elysee Palace.

Natacha Butler, a political analyst, said that “there was a real focus on Turkey’s relationship with the EU, because it really has deteriorated over the past two years”.

She added that Macron “raised the issue of human rights” but also noted that “he is very pragmatic”.

“He [Macron] does not believe that should necessarily get in the way of Turkey having a good relationship with France, and Turkey cooperating on issues such as controlling undocumented migration to Europe and the fight against terrorism,’” said Butler.