Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced his frustration on Sunday, declaring that his nation “no longer harbors any expectations from the European Union, an organization that has left us waiting at its doorstep for four decades.” Erdogan’s remarks came on the eve of a parliamentary inaugural session.
Erdogan went on to emphasize that Turkey has diligently upheld its commitments to the EU, while the EU has regrettably fallen short of its own promises. He made it unequivocally clear that he would not entertain any fresh demands or prerequisites regarding Turkey’s accession to the European bloc.
Erdogan’s ire was further fueled by a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which condemned Turkey for convicting a teacher in connection with the 2016 attempted coup, alleging his association with an encrypted messaging app linked to the alleged plotters. This landmark ECHR judgment, which declared violations of Yuksel Yalcinkaya’s rights, has far-reaching implications, given the multitude of similar cases awaiting resolution in the Strasbourg-based court.
Turkey’s government has laid the blame for the failed coup on a faction led by the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, asserting that the messaging app, ByLock, played a central role in coordinating the coup attempt. Erdogan expressed his profound dissatisfaction with the ECHR’s decision, deeming it the final straw.
Erdogan firmly stated that Turkey would not waver in its fight against what he described as a treacherous faction. This uncompromising stance underscores the escalating tensions between Turkey and the EU, which have reached a critical juncture.
By AFP
