Erdogan calls on EU to show sensitivity about Turkey's membership

Erdogan calls on EU to show sensitivity about Turkey's membership

Turkey appreciates the European Union's efforts to include Ukraine in the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, urging Brussels to show the same sensitivity for Turkey's accession process.

Asked about Ukraine's bid for European Union membership at a joint news conference with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey, an EU candidate for decades, would support any enlargement of NATO and the EU.

"We appreciate the efforts to get Ukraine EU membership. But I ask the EU members, why does Turkey's membership in the EU worry you?" he said.

He called on the bloc to show the "same sensitivity" it showed for Kyiv's membership bid for Turkey's application, and slammed member states for being "not sincere." "Will you put Turkey on your agenda when someone attacks (us) too?" he said.

Turkey is a candidate to join the EU but its accession talks have been stalled over a number of issues. Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987, and accession talks began in 2005. But negotiations stalled in 2007 due to objections from the Greek Cypriot administration on the divided island of Cyprus, as well as opposition from Germany and France.

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