Türkiye could part ways with EU if necessary: Erdoğan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has said Ankara could "part ways" with the European Union if necessary when asked about the contents of a European Parliament report on Türkiye. 

The report, adopted last week, said Turkiye'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.

"The EU is trying to break away from Türkiye," Erdoğan told reporters ahead of a trip to the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, Sept. 16.

"We will make our evaluations against these developments and if necessary, we can part ways with the EU," Erdoğan added. 

Türkiye has criticized the report by the European Parliament as “shallow and non-visionary,” especially at a moment when Ankara and Brussels are in efforts to revive the ties and cooperation in many fields, including upgrading the customs union agreement and visa liberalization.

Turkiye 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.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said earlier last 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.