ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists on full membership in the European Union, rejecting proposals of a partnership instead, he said in an interview published on Sunday.
Erdogan told the Italian newspaper Stampa in an interview that the EU must "keep its promises" to Turkey, ahead of his trip to Rome on Sunday evening as reported by AFP.
Erdogan met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris early last month in efforts to improve Ankara's strained relationship with Europe.
Macron said that the relationship between Turkey and Europe needed to be reconsidered and suggested creating a partnership that would ensure Turkey's "future will be built looking toward Europe and with Europe."
Erdogan said that "The EU is blocking access to negotiations and suggests that lack of progress is because of us. It's unfair."
"We want full membership. Other options are not satisfactory," he added.
The Turkish president also stressed that his country played an "important" role for migrants traveling through Turkey and offered "security and stability" to Europe.
Ties between Turkey and Europe deteriorated last year after authorities in several countries prevented Turkish government ministers from holding political rallies to court expatriates' votes in a referendum to expand the president's powers.
Erdogan unleashed a series of insults at NATO allies, accusing European officials of racism, harboring "terrorists" and behaving like Nazis.
The European Union announced in November of last year that they will cut up to 175 million euros of pre-accession aid to Turkey in 2018 due to violations of human rights in the country which could further stall Ankara's decades-old bid for membership.
Erdogan will arrive at the Vatican on Monday on a 24-hour visit to meet with Pope Francis and Secretary of State Pietro Cardinal Pietro Parolin as well as his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella.
The visit will be the first presidential visit from Turkey to Vatican City in 59 years.
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