Erdogan: Turkey’s EU membership remains strategic goal

Turkey stands for an active dialogue with the European Union. However, the country is faced with steps to drag out negotiations on cooperation with Ankara, including Turkey’s accession to the EU, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on January 13 at a meeting with the ambassadors of the EU countries at the Cankaya residence in Ankara, Report informs referring to Anadolu Agency.

"Turkey, as before, aims at full membership in the EU," the president said.

President Erdogan urged to prevent attempts by individual countries to sabotage the dialogue between Ankara and the EU under the pretext of ensuring "solidarity" within the European Union.

The president called Turkey a "key country" for solving many problems in Europe.

"Without resolving the problems that occur at the borders of Turkey and the EU, the migration crisis cannot be resolved. Everyone who objectively analyzes the situation on the European continent realizes and recognizes that Turkey is the key to resolving the problems faced by the EU countries today. Thanks to Turkey, the humanitarian crisis, the scale of the migration crisis has decreased, as well as the level of terrorist threat and destabilization," the Turkish leader emphasized.