Turkey gives green light to Europe to recover ties

Turkey has offered an olive branch to Europe for an opportunity to restore the recently strained bilateral ties, calling on the EU to do its part in recovering the ties by fulfilling its promise to Ankara of full membership to the bloc, Daily Sabah reports.

"We see ourselves as an inseparable part of Europe, with which we share 600 years of historical bonds," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a live speech Sunday.

Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) members for provincial congresses via videoconference, he called on the European Union to keep its promises.

"We are calling on the EU to create a closer bond with us, to keep their promise of full membership for Turkey," he said.

His statements were a follow-up to his earlier speech Saturday when he underlined that Turkey sees itself in Europe and seeks to build its future in the continent.

"We see ourselves in Europe, not anywhere else. We aim to build our future with Europe," Erdogan said.

"We will find a proper place in the post-pandemic world by improving our judicial infrastructure, strengthening the foundations of our economy, increasing production and employment," he added.

Last week, Erdogan said Turkey was entering a new period for both the economy and the judiciary, and that Parliament will prioritize the new judiciary reform packages next year.

He pledged a new economic growth strategy that will enable an improved climate for foreign investors, backed by an efficient judicial system, saying the strategy would be based on stability, lower inflation and international investment.

Turkey-EU ties have been at odds recently, as the conflict of interests over multiple topics caused tension between the two. The disagreement over the Eastern Mediterranean has, in particular, occupied the bilateral relations for months now.

EU leaders had agreed on Oct. 2 to give Turkey until early December before considering economic sanctions, and Germany, which has so far led diplomatic talks with Ankara, wants to give dialogue a chance because of close EU-Turkey trade ties.

News.Az 

You Might Also Like