Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said EU accession is no longer a priority for Turkey, although the country has not ruled out eventually joining the bloc.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Sunday, Erdoğan said: “The European Union is not a priority for us.”
He added that Turkey had not closed the door to EU membership but said accession no longer took precedence.
Erdoğan also argued that the EU would be the loser if it continued to reject Turkey.
Turkey has held EU candidate status since 1999. Accession negotiations began in 2005 but have effectively been frozen amid concerns over the country’s record on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.
Criticism over opposition crackdown
Turkey’s government has faced renewed criticism over its treatment of opposition figures, particularly the imprisonment of Erdoğan’s political rival and former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
A closely watched trial involving İmamoğlu is due to continue on Monday at the courthouse in Istanbul’s Silivri district.
He faces allegations including corruption, money laundering and forming a criminal organisation.
Turkey’s opposition describes the proceedings as politically motivated and accuses Erdoğan of using the judiciary to sideline his most prominent rival.
The Turkish government denies interfering with the judiciary.
The developments have added to longstanding concerns surrounding EU accession and Ankara’s relationship with the European bloc.
Also read: Greece rejects Turkish ‘national marine parks’ as illegal
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