ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2022) Turkey wants to develop ties with the European Union with the outlook of becoming a member state one day, a prospect supported by Ankara's participation in the broader European Political Community, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
"Ankara's fundamental and main expectation is that the European Political Community would strengthen our relations with the EU and contribute to us obtaining membership. Ankara expects that the EU will be developing ties with Turkey based on the prospect of its accession to the bloc, without condoning the interests and ambitions of certain countries," Erdogan said at a European Political Community summit in Prague, as quoted by Turkish news agency Anadolu.
Erdogan believes that Turkey is an "irreplaceable" and "key" asset for the EU and broader European community "as evident from events taking place lately."
Turkey signed the Ankara Agreement, or the Agreement Creating an Association Between the Republic of Turkey and the European Economic Community (EEC, the predecessor of the EU), in 1963 and applied for full membership in 1987. However, the negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU began only in 2005 with only 16 chapters out of 35 necessary to complete the accession process being opened so far.
In early 2016, Turkey and the EU signed a refugee deal, which was to accelerate the accession process and allow for visa-free travel between Turkey and the Union. But negotiations have been stalling since 2016 after the EU accused Ankara of human rights violations and non-observance of the rule of law in the country.
