Turkey Is Searching for Other “Historical Paths”

Turkey is not going to wait until it is accepted into the European Union, but will look for other “historical paths”. The country’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an interview with A Haber. “We can’t wait any longer for EU membership. We have to look for other alternatives, other historical paths, especially in the field of economic cooperation. This is our position,” the minister claimed. Fidan emphasized that Turkey still wants to join the EU, but the country has neither way nor the possibility to influence Brussels in any way. “The other side is not very conscious of what they are rejecting. At the very least, there is historical conditioning.... But this is a different topic of discussion,” Fidan added, recalling the religious differences between most European countries and Turkey. Turkey was granted candidate status for EU membership in 1999. Formal membership negotiations began in 2005.