Erdogan: Turkey no longer needs EU membership but won't quit talks

Turkey no longer needs to join the European Union but will not unilaterally abandon the stalled EU accession talks, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told parliament on Sunday, Reuters reported.

“We will not be the side which gives up. To tell the truth, we don’t need EU membership any more,” Erdogan said.

“The EU failed us in a fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said on Sunday, 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 said.