(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Ankara: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country no longer needs to join the European Union but will not unilaterally abandon the stalled EU accession talks.
"We will not be the side which gives up. To tell the truth, we dont need EU membership any more," Erdogan said at the opening of the new legislative session of the Turkish Parliament on Sunday.
"The EU failed us in a fight against terrorism," Erdogan said, though he also suggested the bloc still needed Turkey.
"If the EU is going to leap forward, there is only one way to do so. And it is to grant Turkey membership and start an action of cultural and economic growth," Erdogan added.
In another context, Erdogan affirmed that Turkey will never turn a blind eye to unrest well beyond its borders which will create a permanent threat for the Turkish nations and the countries in the region, referring to the referendum held by Iraqi Kurdistan government last Monday.
He said that Turkey would never allow any threat against the historical Turkmen city of Kirkuk.
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