‘Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge’ President Erdogan says on EU membership

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening its relations with the European Union and emphasized the country’s economic growth during a Cabinet meeting held at the Bestepe Presidential Complex in Ankara on Monday.

Türkiye seeks stronger ties with the European Union

President Erdogan highlighted Türkiye’s participation in a European Union meeting via videoconference, where security and defense matters were discussed.

“We want to develop our relations with the European Union with a perspective focused on full membership, based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Erdogan said.

He reiterated Türkiye’s stance that a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine must include both nations, warning that any solution excluding either side would not be sustainable.

Türkiye’s balanced, consistent and principled stance in the Russia-Ukraine war is better appreciated today. We emphasize at every opportunity that a peace without Russia or Ukraine will never be permanent.

We want to develop our relations with the EU based on mutual respect on the basis of common interests and with a perspective that focuses on the goal of full membership. We remind them once again that Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge. It is our wish that our European friends understand the role of the new Türkiye in the reshaped world and determine their strategies accordingly. I believe that once this unity of understanding is established, relations between Türkiye and Europe will flourish rapidly in every field.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

“We remind them that Türkiye is the last exit before the bridge,” he stated, underlining the country’s strategic importance in regional security and diplomacy.

Economic outlook: Growth, inflation, and employment

President Erdogan provided an overview of Türkiye’s economic progress, expressing optimism about continued growth.

“In recent months, we have received promising economic news. With strong momentum in investments and exports, we will achieve even greater growth this year,” he said.

He noted a decrease in Türkiye’s risk premium and a reduction in public debt, adding that confidence in the economy is rising. Erdogan also pointed out that employment rates are increasing, with over one million new jobs created since May 2023.

The president acknowledged progress in fighting inflation, stating that the rate had declined to 39% in February and predicting further reductions throughout the year.

“As inflation continues to fall, citizens’ purchasing power will increase,” Erdogan said. He reaffirmed his administration’s goal of bringing inflation back to single digits, as achieved in previous governments.

Türkiye’s role in global stability

Erdogan addressed recent geopolitical shifts, warning that the existing international system is in decline.

“The system that was once considered rule-based is now collapsing, and those who established it are the ones striking the hardest blows to it,” he remarked.

More precisely, the global-based system, which is claimed to be based on rules and law, has entered a phase of collapse. The ones who hit the international order the hardest are the founders of the system.

We can all hear the tremors in many parts of the world, especially in Palestine, Lebanon and Ukraine. Almost everyone acknowledges and accepts that there is no turning back. This is the main reason for the anxiety of those who benefit from the old system.

We are shaping all our strategies accordingly. We aim to enter the new period of struggle, which will determine the shape of our next century, well-trained in every aspect. We intend to meet the new period with the burdens off our backs and the shackles on our feet shattered.

When our goal of ‘Türkiye without terrorism’ is realized in all its elements, we, as 85 million people, will gain a great advantage in global competition. Whatever we are doing, we are doing it with this vision. Whatever steps we take, we are taking to reach this goal as soon as possible.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

He reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to national security, stating that efforts to eliminate terrorism remain a top priority.

“Our vision of a ‘terror-free Türkiye’ will provide a significant advantage in global competition when fully realized,” Erdogan said.