Politics
14:03, 15-Jul-2017
Turkish president Erdogan believes EU is 'not indispensable'
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Turkish President Erdogan told the BBC in an interview that his country doesn't care much about EU membership, and is "able to stand on its own two feet."
Erdogan said the majority of Turks don't “want the EU anymore,” and believe its approach to Turkey is “insincere”.
The tensions between Turkey and the EU are running high over migrant issues and the EU's disapproval of Turkey's referendum in April. Turkey has threatened to end its refugee deal with the EU, accusing the bloc of not sticking with a promise to grant Turkish nationals visa-free travel in Europe, and of trying to cause a “clash” between Christianity and Islam.
According to the UN, as of July 4 there were more than three million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey, covered by the government's temporary protection regime.