Erdogan stated that Turkey's accession to the EU is no longer a priority
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the country’s membership in the European Union is no longer a priority for Ankara.
At the same time, he emphasized that Turkey is not closing the door on possible EU accession.
“The European Union is not a priority for us,” Erdogan said.
The statement came amid mounting criticism of Turkey over its persecution of the opposition. In particular, attention has been drawn to the case of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is accused of corruption, money laundering, and forming a criminal organization.
The Turkish opposition considers the case to be politically motivated and accuses Erdogan of using the judicial system to eliminate his main political rival.
Source: dpa
Earlier, Ukraine purchased 70 ATACMS ballistic missiles from Turkey.
Turkey has begun restricting the movement of some commercial vessels heading toward the Black Sea due to an increase in attacks in the region. Some vessels heading for Novorossiysk, Russia, or Ukrainian ports are facing delays in obtaining permits to pass through the Dardanelles.
