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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Saturday that Europe would remain incomplete without Türkiye and warned that the EU’s ability to manage crises would weaken if Ankara continued to be excluded from the bloc’s future architecture.
In a message marking Europe Day on May 9, Erdogan described Türkiye as an "essential and indispensable" part of Europe’s future amid growing global instability.
Erdogan noted that Europe Day, celebrated on the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration that laid the foundations of European integration, symbolized not only the European Union but also the goal of building a shared future based on peace, cooperation and mutual respect across the continent.
The Turkish president argued that the principles on which the European Union was founded 76 years ago are now being tested by overlapping global crises.
"Wars, political crises and economic challenges felt on a global scale have made it necessary for the European Union to pursue more inclusive and unifying policies," Erdogan said, adding that Türkiye continues to remain a candidate country and a core part of this process.
"As we have stated before, the European Union needs Türkiye more than Türkiye needs the Union, and this need will grow even further in the future," the Turkish president highlighted.
Türkiye has officially been an EU candidate country since 1999, and accession talks formally started in 2005. However, the membership process has largely stalled over the past decade, although it has never been officially terminated.
Türkiye has also been part of the EU Customs Union since 1995, allowing tariff-free trade in industrial goods with EU member states. The arrangement has helped make the EU Türkiye’s largest export market, with exports to the bloc reaching $117 billion in 2025.
Ankara has long called for the agreement to be modernized to include areas such as services, agriculture and digital trade.
At the same time, Türkiye continues to seek visa-free travel for its citizens within the Schengen area, while the EU says several remaining criteria still need to be fulfilled before the process can advance.
Erdogan underlined that Ankara remains committed to advancing relations with the European Union under a full membership perspective and based on a "win-win" approach.
"We expect this sincere will to also be demonstrated by the European Union," he stated while expressing hope that Europe Day would contribute to peace, stability and solidarity across the region.
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