Turkey considering Shanghai organization as alternative to EU - PM Erdoğan

Turkey and the European Union have failed to make substantial progress in their accession talks, pushing Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to once again say that Turkey is seriously considering seeking membership of  the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as an alternative, at a time when the EU's future looks increasingly dim, Trend cites  Today's Zaman newspaper as saying.

Speaking to reporters during a televised program aired on Kanal 24 late on Friday, Erdoğan said Turkey is now seeking alternative options amid eroding hopes for the EU process with regard to adamant opposition to Turkey's membership by a number of EU member countries.

Touching upon a wide array of issues, Erdoğan said Turkey is seriously considering being part of the SCO.

Turkey was accepted as a dialogue partner by the SCO at its annual summit in Beijing on June 7.