Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on the EU to refrain from actions and rhetoric that could undermine Ankara's "constructive stance," adding that Brussels should praise it.
"Let it not be forgotten that Türkiye is no longer the old Türkiye, nor is the world still confined to the sphere of influence of Western states," Erdogan said during his address to the nation after chairing the Cabinet meeting.
He also urged the bloc to recognize that it cannot be a global actor or a center of attraction without Türkiye as a full member.
The EU's "strategic myopia" toward Türkiye "unfortunately, persists, quite visibly," across many of the bloc's institutions, he noted.
The issue is not where Ankara stands, but where Brussels sees itself in the future, Erdogan said, adding that Europe needs Türkiye more than Türkiye needs Europe.
"...Tomorrow this need will increase even further," he said.
Noting Ankara's membership process with the EU, which has been ongoing since 1959, Erdogan said the bloc took a biased stance toward Ankara's bid.
He pointed out that Türkiye’s relations with the EU improved again beginning in 2015, partly due to the irregular migration wave caused by the Syrian civil war, the largest seen in Europe since World War II.
However, he said the EU failed to maintain the momentum in relations after being late, insufficient, and reluctant to give Türkiye the necessary support following the July 15 (2016) attempted coup, in which 253 people were martyred.
Erdogan said subsequent meetings did not produce an encouraging picture that could overcome the current deadlock or give new momentum to Türkiye-EU relations.
Despite "the many double standards Türkiye has faced," he said the country has persisted in its efforts toward full membership and maintains close contacts with EU institutions and member states.
He stressed that since Türkiye’s initial application in 1959, deeply rooted prejudices against Türkiye among certain circles in Europe have never been overcome.
“At times, they targeted our democracy; at times, they saw our economy as a threat; at times, they spread fear over our population; at times, they used our faith as an excuse to otherize us. But each time, they always found a pretext to exclude Türkiye, slow down Türkiye’s full membership process, and keep Türkiye waiting at the door,” Erdogan said.
He said Türkiye has changed, transformed, and strengthened its economy and democracy, but that these circles’ distorted approach toward the country has not changed.
Unlike other candidate countries, Türkiye has also had to struggle against this mindset and its representatives, he added.
Referring to former President Turgut Ozal’s words that Türkiye had walked not only “a long and narrow road” but also one “full of artificial obstacles and hurdles,” Erdogan said the journey still continues on the same ground.
“We are not a country whose existence is remembered only when needed, whose door is knocked on only in times of necessity, and which is pushed aside at other times. We are not, and never will be, such a country," he added.
Erdogan said a new world is being built in which regional cooperation is gaining importance, new actors are emerging, and the global system is rapidly evolving toward multipolarity.
He underlined that Türkiye is among the strongest countries poised to become one of the leading poles of this new system.
He said Europe is at a crossroads: it will either see Türkiye’s growing power and global weight as an opportunity for the union to overcome its deadlock or allow exclusionary rhetoric to darken Europe’s future.
Erdogan said Türkiye hopes that decision-makers in Europe will abandon their political and historical prejudices and focus on developing sincere, genuine, and equal relations with Türkiye.
“The winner of such a relationship will be the European continent, of which Türkiye is an inseparable part. Guided by the highest interests of our nation, we will continue walking this path patiently, with dignity, with a clear conscience and our heads held high,” he said.
