President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan during negotiations with the chairman European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that his country sees its future in European Union (EU). This was reported by TASS citing the office of the Turkish leader.
According to the politician, the EU occupies a priority position in Turkey’s agenda. Erdogan called the renewal of the migration agreement the most important tool that can be used at the first stage for a positive agenda in relations between Turkey and the EU.
The Turkish leader added that the country is ready to open a new page in relations with the EU this year. He spoke about the need to update the Customs Union with the European Union, ensure a visa-free regime for Turkish citizens, as well as take steps in negotiations on the country’s membership in the EU and restore mutual trust.
In December, the former foreign minister and representative of Turkey to UN Yashar Yakysh said that the difficulty with the country’s accession to the European Union lies in the prejudices of Europeans, as well as in difficulties with the change of the laws of the country. “The prejudice did not arise in a month, its roots go back to the Ottoman past. The image of Turkey is an Ottoman state carrying the flag of Islam to Europe, hence the negative attitude,” Yakysh said.