Erdogan Says Türkiye May Part Ways with EU

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference after attending the G20 summit, in New Delhi on September 10, 2023. (AFP)
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference after attending the G20 summit, in New Delhi on September 10, 2023. (AFP)
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Erdogan Says Türkiye May Part Ways with EU

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference after attending the G20 summit, in New Delhi on September 10, 2023. (AFP)
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference after attending the G20 summit, in New Delhi on September 10, 2023. (AFP)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Türkiye may part ways with the European Union, implying that the country is thinking about ending its bid to join the 27-nation bloc.

“The EU is making efforts to sever ties with Türkiye,” he told reporters before departing for the 78th UN General Assembly in New York.

“We will evaluate the situation, and if needed we will part ways with the EU.”

He was responding to a question about a recent report adopted by the European Parliament, which stated “the accession process cannot resume under the current circumstances, and calls on EU to explore ‘a parallel and realistic framework’ for EU-Türkiye relations.”

Türkiye applied to join the European Union in 1999, and accession talks began in 2005. Accession negotiations were frozen in 2018 because of “democratic backsliding,” according to the European Parliament.

Erdogan's statement on Saturday came more than a week after Türkiye’s foreign minister affirmed his country’s resolve to join the EU and urged the bloc to take courageous steps to advance its bid.



Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to Present ‘Victory Plan’ at Ramstein Meeting

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to Present ‘Victory Plan’ at Ramstein Meeting

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prepares to address the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York, US, September 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Ukraine will present its "victory plan" at a regular meeting of its allies at Ramstein in Germany on October 12, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a post on Telegram on Saturday.

"We will present the victory plan, clear, specific steps for a just end to the war," he wrote.

Ukraine, which has been fending off an invasion from much larger neighbor Russia for nearly 1,000 days, has in recent months teased a plan to end the war.

The details have not been made public, but Zelenskiy presented it to US President Joe Biden, as well as both major candidates running in the country's presidential election, when he visited Washington last month.

The US State Department spokesman said the plan contained "a number of productive steps" which the US would engage with Ukraine on.

However, the Wall Street Journal newspaper cited anonymous US officials as saying that the plan was a repackaged request for more weapons and a lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles, and lacked a comprehensive strategy.