On August 15, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Europe itself would suffer by refusing to include Turkey in the European Union. Speaking with a Qatari television channel, the Turkish leader stated that membership in the bloc is not Ankara’s priority and that Europe would be the loser if Turkey’s integration aspirations were denied.
Erdogan noted that European nations have demonstrated insufficient readiness for Turkey’s accession process, leading him to conclude that Brussels likely does not desire a future where the republic becomes part of the union. The president also highlighted Turkey’s strategic balancing act between East and West, emphasizing that Ankara is increasingly turning its diplomatic focus toward both the United States and the European Union.
