Breaking News Turkey
Turkey is “further away” from the European Union (EU) compared to a quarter of a century ago, claimed the European Commission President.
Speaking to some European newspapers, Ursula von der Leyen alleged that Ankara is “reluctant” to be a part of the EU.
“Turkey today is further away than it was in 1999,” she said, comparing the directions of Turkey and Slovakia.
Commenting on Turkey’s non-participation in the European sanctions imposed on Russia due to the Ukrainian war, von der Leyen noted that “alignment” is important in the membership process.
Turkey applied to become a part of the European community in 1959.
Meanwhile, Turkey contributes to efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow by maintaining its neutral position in the conflict, as the country hosted two separate meetings between delegations of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya and Istanbul.
Ankara is now in talks with both countries for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey.