Türkiye could 'break up' with the EU.

Speaking ahead of his visit to the US, President Tayyip Erdogan declared that the EU was taking steps to distance itself from Türkiye. He emphasized: "We will assess these developments and, if necessary, we may leave the EU."

Earlier, the Ankara government criticized the European Parliament's report on Türkiye. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the document "is full of unfair and biased accusations based on misinformation from anti-Turkish forces."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said the report was adopted at a crucial time for ensuring the stability and security of the continent and that "when the door of opportunity has opened to restore relations between Turkey and the EU, the European Parliament has set a different agenda instead of negotiating on relevant issues (Turkey's accession to the EU)."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry emphasized that Turkey has the potential to make the EU a global power in the face of existing challenges, primarily in the areas of security, energy, climate change, and economics. Realizing these realities requires a forward-looking approach, unaffected by the narrow interests of certain groups.

The European Parliament's (EP) annual report on EU-Türkiye relations, adopted with 434 votes in favor, 18 against, and 152 abstentions, states that “unless the Turkish government completely changes course, Turkey’s EU accession process cannot continue under the current circumstances.” The EP also calls on the EU to seek a more realistic framework for its relationship with Türkiye.

Türkiye submitted its application to join the EU in 1987 and was recognized as a candidate 12 years later. Although membership negotiations began in 2005, progress has been very slow and the process has been frozen since 2016.