Erdogan rejects anything less than full membership of EU in talks with Macron

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected proposals of a partnership with the European Union, insisting that full membership to the bloc is the only option.

Hosting Mr Erdogan on a visit to Paris last month, French President Emmanuel Macron said it was hypocrisy to say progress could be made on Turkish EU membership, instead floating the idea of a partnership.

The bloc must “keep its promises” to Turkey, Mr Erdogan told Italy’s Stampa newspaper yesterday, ahead of his arrival in Rome last night for a 24-hour visit.

“The EU is blocking access to negotiations and suggests that lack of progress is because of us. It’s unfair. Just like it is that other countries are pushing for options other than membership,” he said.

“We want full membership. Other options are not satisfactory.”

He emphasised the country’s important role in stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, which he said offered “security and stability” to the continent.

Turkish ambitions to join the EU date back more than half a century, but accession talks started only in October 2005.

Out of the 35 chapters needed to be closed to join the EU, 16 have been opened with just one closed. No new chapter has been opened since financial and budgetary provisions was opened in June 2016.

The Turkish president also defended his country’s ongoing military operation in the northern Syrian region of Afrin.

The operation is targeting the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Ankara regards as a terrorist group.

“The Turkish armed forces are not in Afrin to fight armed Kurdish groups. We don’t have problems with the Kurdish Syrians, we are only fighting terrorists, and we have the right to do it,” Mr Erdogan said, repeating that Turkey was not seeking territorial gains.

Mr Erdogan’s flying visit to Italy will include a meeting with the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella.

He will also be the first Turkish president to visit the Vatican in 59 years, where he will thank Pope Francis for challenging US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. “We are both in favour of the status quo and we have the will to protect it,” he said.