Erdogan believes that the European Union, which has been “influenced by the short-term policy” of the member countries of the association, needs to focus on common goals. The situation in Ukraine is a tragedy and at the same time a warning for the EU, he said
The European Union has moved away from its fundamental principles in recent years and “was influenced by the short-term policy” of the member countries, according to a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, timed to coincide with Europe Day.
Europe Day is celebrated on May 9, this date was chosen to commemorate the Schuman Declaration, which is considered one of the founding documents of the European Union. On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed to European countries to unite the metallurgical, iron ore and coal mining industries. The result was the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the forerunner of the EU.
According to Erdogan, the ideas at the heart of the Schuman Declaration allowed the countries of Europe to “put aside their differences and hostility” and unite, but now the EU has moved away from its stated goals. The Turkish President believes that the European Union needs to “write a new history for itself” against the backdrop of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
The situation in Ukraine is a tragedy that is unfolding “in the center of Europe before the eyes of the whole world,” which is also a warning to the EU, Erdogan said. The aftermath of the fighting on Ukrainian soil has confirmed that Turkey “is of strategic importance to the EU”, in particular in the areas of energy, security, supply chains and migration, he said.
“Now we need solidarity, cooperation <…> as in the times when the foundations of European integration were laid,” the Turkish president added.
Turkey has been celebrating Europe Day since 1999, when the country received EU candidate status. Negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the association began in 2005.
In May 2021, MEPs said that relations between Ankara and Brussels had reached a “historic low” as Turkey “distances itself more and more from EU values and standards”. The deputies proposed to consider the possibility of suspending negotiations on the country’s accession to the European Union. The Turkish Foreign Ministry considered the resolution of the European Parliament biased and indicated that the document “has no legal force.”
On the eve of the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that against the backdrop of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Europe “faces the shadows of the past, which, as we thought, had long been left behind.” She stressed that Brussels supports Kyiv and expressed confidence that the EU will cope with the challenge.
Source: RBC News
