President Erdoğan: Turkey struggles to become full member of EU for last 60 years, determined to gain it

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech reform action group meeting at presidential complex.

President Thursday reiterated vow to gain full membership in the European Union despite counter-efforts.

"Turkey proceeds on its way persistently despite those trying to exclude it from the European family," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a reform action group meeting in the capital Ankara. 

Erdoğan stressed that Turkey has been struggling to become a full member of the EU for the last 60 years, adding that the country is determined to gain it.

EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs EU, Erdoğan stressed.

Turkey applied for the EU membership in 1987 and accession talks began in 2005.

But negotiations stalled in 2007 due to objections of the Greek Cypriot administration on the divided island of Cyprus as well as opposition from Germany and France.