Erdogan says Turkey could 'part ways' with EU if necessary

FILE PHOTO: Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan presents medium-term economic programme forecasts in Ankara, Turkey, September 6, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara could "part ways" with the European Union if necessary when asked about the contents of a European Parliament report on Turkey.

The report, adopted earlier this week, said Turkey's accession process with the 27-member bloc cannot resume under current circumstances and called for the EU to explore "a parallel and realistic framework" for its ties with Ankara.

Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU for 24 years, but accession talks have stalled in recent years over the bloc's concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law.

"The EU is trying to break away from Turkey," Erdogan told reporters ahead of a trip to the United States. "We will make our evaluations against these developments and if necessary, we can part ways with the EU."

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that the European Parliament report contained unfounded allegations and prejudices and took "a shallow and non-visionary" approach to the country's ties with the EU.

(Reporting by Ezgi ErkoyunEditing by Toby Chopra and Helen Popper)