“Strategic blindness towards Turkey, unfortunately, still clearly exists in many institutions of the Union,” Erdogan said, stressing that the European Union cannot become a global actor or a center of attraction without Turkey as a full member.
He pointed out that Turkey is not a country whose importance is recognized only at certain moments.
“We are not a country whose value is remembered only when it is needed, whose door is knocked on when necessary, and which is put aside at other times. We never were and we never will be,” he emphasized.
He added that the European Union should fully appreciate Turkey’s constructive approach.
“The European Union must fully appreciate Turkey’s constructive attitude and must not abuse it. It should refrain from moves and rhetoric that would call it into question,” Erdogan said.
Speaking about global changes, he warned that the world order is rapidly changing.
“Let it not be forgotten: neither Turkey is the old Turkey anymore, nor is the world the same world limited by the sphere of influence of Western countries,” he said.
According to him, a new global system is emerging in which regional cooperation and new actors play an increasingly important role.
“A new world is being built, a world in which regional cooperation gains importance, new actors appear, and the global system is rapidly developing towards multipolarity,” he said.
Erdogan believes that Turkey is among the countries that have the capacity to be one of the key factors in that new order.
“Turkey is among the strongest states that are ready to become one of the poles of this new system,” he pointed out.
Speaking about the relationship between Europe and Turkey, he stated that this relationship is changing in favor of Ankara.
“Today, Europe’s need for Turkey is greater than Turkey’s need for Europe. And that need will be even greater tomorrow,” he said.
Finally, he warned that Europe is facing an important choice.
“Europe is at a crossroads: either it will see the growing power and global weight of Turkey as an opportunity to overcome its setbacks, or it will allow exclusionary rhetoric to darken the future of Europe,” he said.
He also expressed the expectation that European leaders will abandon prejudices and focus on building equal relations.
“Our hope is that decision-makers in Europe will abandon political and historical prejudices and focus on the development of sincere, real and equal relations with Turkey,” Erdogan concluded, adding that such an approach would be in the interest of the entire continent.
(Vijesti.ba)
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