President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 4 called on the European Union to refrain from actions and rhetoric that could undermine Ankara's "constructive stance," adding that Brussels should praise it.
"Let it not be forgotten that Türkiye is no longer the old Türkiye, nor is the world still confined to the sphere of influence of Western states," Erdoğan said in televised remarks after a cabinet meeting.
He also urged the bloc to recognize that it cannot be a global actor or a center of attraction without Türkiye as a full member.
The EU's "strategic myopia" toward Türkiye "unfortunately, persists quite visibly across many of the bloc's institutions," he noted.
The issue is not where Ankara stands, but where Brussels sees itself in the future, Erdoğan said, adding that Europe needs Türkiye more than Türkiye needs Europe. "Tomorrow this need will increase even further," he said.
Noting Ankara's membership process with the EU, which has been ongoing since 1959, Erdoğan said the bloc took a biased stance toward Ankara's bid.
However, he said the EU failed to maintain a 2015 momentum in relations after being "late, insufficient and reluctant to give Türkiye the necessary support" following the coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Erdoğan said subsequent meetings did not produce an encouraging picture that could overcome the current deadlock or give new momentum to Türkiye-EU relations.
Despite "the many double standards Türkiye has faced," he said the country has persisted in its efforts toward full membership and maintains close contacts with EU institutions and member states.
"At times, they targeted our democracy; at times, they saw our economy as a threat; at times, they spread fear over our population; at times, they used our faith as an excuse to otherize us. But each time, they always found a pretext to exclude Türkiye, slow down Türkiye’s full membership process, and keep Türkiye waiting at the door," Erdoğan said.
"We are not a country whose existence is remembered only when needed, whose door is knocked on only in times of necessity, and which is pushed aside at other times. We are not, and never will be, such a country."
He underlined that Türkiye is among the strongest countries poised to become one of the leading poles of the evolving global system.
Erdoğan said Türkiye hopes that decision-makers in Europe will abandon their political and historical prejudices and focus on developing sincere, genuine, and equal relations with Türkiye.
"The winner of such a relationship will be the European continent, of which Türkiye is an inseparable part. Guided by the highest interests of our nation, we will continue walking this path patiently, with dignity, with a clear conscience and our heads held high," he said.
