Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in an Al Jazeera Arabic interview that EU membership is no longer a prio...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in an Al Jazeera Arabic interview that EU membership is no longer a priority for Ankara, adding that if the accession process fails to move forward, "Europe will be the loser." Erdogan said the EU has shown no real willingness to accept Turkey as a full member, and that the issue has effectively dropped off Ankara's agenda. He made the comments during an appearance on Al Jazeera's "Al Muqabala" program, covering a wide range of issues from F-35 fighters to the Strait of Hormuz. On the F-35 question, Erdogan said he received a personal promise from Trump and is waiting for it to be honored. He also referenced the defense pact signed on August 7 in Mecca between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries is treated as an attack on all. He called the agreement "an important message to the world" and left open the possibility of Egypt joining the alliance in the future. Erdogan said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is a top Turkish priority and that keeping it closed serves no one's interests. He praised Qatar's mediation efforts in regional conflicts. He announced plans to visit Syria, saying Turkey will continue working to restore stability there and "will not leave it alone." On Syrian Kurds, he said they should also benefit from peace and that Ankara will strengthen ties with Kurdish communities. On Gaza, Erdogan repeated Turkey's commitment to continued support, saying "we cannot leave Gaza alone." He claimed Hamas is fulfilling its obligations "in good faith" while accusing Israel of prolonging the war. He also expressed concern over Israeli strikes in Lebanon, saying he raised the issue directly with Trump. Erdogan also described his relations with Sudan's Sovereignty Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as good, and reaffirmed Turkey's steady ties with Libya. #Turkey #EU #Erdogan