Ankara, May 05 (QNA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Europe needs Turkiye more than Turkiye needs it, adding that it must be recognized that the European Union will not be a global actor and center of attraction without Turkiye's accession.
Erdogan pointed out at a press conference following a government meeting that his country was pushed off the EU accession negotiating table for purely political reasons, explaining that they did not find, in subsequent meetings with the Europeans, an encouraging picture that would overcome the current stalemate and move Turkiye-EU relations forward.
He stressed that Turkiye, despite all the double standards to which it was exposed, persistently continued its efforts towards full membership, and that it is still intensifying its mutual contacts with the Union's institutions and countries.
He added that closer ties would benefit Europe as a whole, stressing that Turkey is an integral part of the continent, and said that the country would pursue this path with patience and dignity, guided by the interests of its people.
Turkiye has been an official candidate to join the European Union since 1999, and membership negotiations began in 2005, but the negotiations have been stagnant for about a decade. (QNA)