Erdogan: If necessary, Turkey can part ways with the EU

(Patria) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responding to a journalist's question about the content of the European Parliament's report on Turkey, said that Ankara could "part ways" with the European Union if necessary.

This report, adopted earlier this week, states that Turkey's accession process to the European bloc cannot continue under the current circumstances and calls on the EU to explore the possibility of applying a "parallel and realistic framework" for relations with Ankara.

Turkey has been an official candidate for EU membership for 24 years, but accession negotiations have stalled in recent years due to the bloc's concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law in Turkey.

- The EU is trying to distance itself from Turkey. We will make our own assessments in relation to such developments and, if necessary, we can part ways with the EU - Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the United States.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced earlier this week that the European Parliament's report contains unfounded accusations and prejudices and that it has a "shallow and unvisionary" approach to Turkey's relations with the EU, reports Hina.