Inclusion to European Union: Erdogan says Turkey 'no longer expects anything'
"We have kept all the promises we have made to the EU but they have kept almost none of theirs," says Turkey's President Erdogan
October 01, 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his frustration with the European Union, saying that Turkey "no longer expects anything" from the EU after being kept waiting for 40 years.
"We have kept all the promises we have made to the EU but they have kept almost none of theirs," Erdogan said before an inaugural session of parliament.
He firmly stated that he would not accept any new demands or conditions regarding Turkey's accession to the EU. Erdogan's dissatisfaction also stems from a recent judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which condemned Turkey for convicting a teacher in connection with the 2016 attempted coup.
Erdogan said Sunday that the "decision of the ECHR was the straw that broke the camel's back."
"[Turkey] will not turn back in its fight against this band of traitors," he said.
The ECHR ruled that the teacher's rights had been violated, potentially setting a precedent for numerous similar cases pending before the court.
Turkey has accused a group led by the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the failed coup and using a messaging app called ByLock for coordination. Erdogan asserted that the ECHR's decision was a breaking point and reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to its fight against the alleged coup plotters.
