Turkey adamant on full EU membership

BRUSSELS. Belgium

Turkey is determined to push ahead with legal and political reforms to meet conditions for joining the EU as a full member, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday (June 26th) after talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in Brussels.

Erdogan said his country will never give up the vision of full membership, and once again rejected a proposal by France and Germany for a privileged partnership. “We cannot accept this position. […] Our goal is full membership. Any alternative is out of the question,” he stressed.

Rehn said the European Commission (EC) remains fully committed to the EU agenda for Turkey’s accession. However, he warned Turkey should not slow down its progress in implementing pro-EU reforms.