ANKARA, Nov 18 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the European Union's bias towards his country continues, Ankara expects «positive changes» from Brussels.
Turkey signed an association agreement with the EU (at that time EEC) in 1963, and in 1987 applied for membership in the union. But accession negotiations only began in 2005 and have been repeatedly suspended due to disagreements. Currently, 16 of the 35 chapters of the negotiation dossier are open. Earlier, before flying to New York to participate in the UN General Assembly, Erdogan said that if necessary, the paths of Turkey and the EU “may diverge.”
“»We expect positive changes in intensifying the process of our membership in the European Union, exemption from the visa regime and renewal of the Customs Union. However, unfortunately, the biased attitude of the European Union towards our country remains. We have once again seen this in the report of the European Commission «Turkey 2023,» the Turkish leader told reporters on the plane upon returning from Berlin.
Erdogan previously said that Sweden's entry into NATO would become possible after Turkey was admitted to the EU. Later, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Erdogan agreed «as soon as possible» to send papers for the ratification of Sweden's application for NATO membership to the Turkish parliament. Sweden, as a member of the European Union, promised in exchange for ratifying the application to help intensify the process of Turkey's accession to the EU. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov noted, that they do not want to see Turkey in Europe, Ankara should not wear rose-colored glasses.