Page 42 - bneMag Oct23

42 I Southeast Europe bne October 2023
Erdogan and his foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, are intent on persuading Western capitals that Turkey should be included in the newly announced India-Middle East-Europe trade corridor. / bne IntelliNews
Erdogan says Ankara could part ways with EU
bne IntelliNews
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 16 said that Ankara could "part ways" with the European Union if required. His remark was made as his foreign minister fought to derail an India-Middle East-Europe trade corridor plan that, to Erdogan’s annoyance, entirely excludes Turkey.
Erdogan’s comment on the future of Turkish and EU relations was in fact made in response to questions on a newly released European Parliament report on Turkey that says the country’s frozen EU accession process cannot resume under present circumstances and calls for the bloc to explore "a parallel and realistic framework" for
its ties with Ankara. However, the
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discontent over the trade corridor is rumbling in the background.
Turkey’s application to join the EU, lodged 24 years ago, has gone nowhere in recent years given European concerns over matters including human rights violations by Ankara and the Erdogan administration’s lack of respect for the rule of law.
"The EU is trying to break away from Turkey," Erdogan told reporters ahead
of a trip to New York for the UN General Assembly. "We will make our evaluations against these developments and, if necessary, we can part ways with the EU."
Turkey's foreign ministry said ahead of
Erdogan’s comments that the European Parliament report contained unfounded allegations and prejudices. The report, it added, took "a shallow and non- visionary" approach to the country's ties with the EU.
However, while the report may have provoked some real displeasure
in Ankara, it is the trade corridor, announced at the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 8, that appears to have stirred far more concern and anger among Erdogan and his top officials.
“There is no corridor without Turkey,” Erdogan fumed to journalists during his return from the G20 get-together: “The most convenient line for traffic from east