Turkey is determined to continue the course towards European integration in order to build its future with Europe, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said. RIA Novosti reported

“We remain determined to European integration, strive to build our future together with Europe and aim at cooperation with all friendly countries and allies. Turkey is ready to actively use its close allied relations with the United States to resolve regional and global problems,” Erdogan said, addressing members of the ruling Justice and Development Party via videoconference. The broadcast was conducted on Twitter by the Turkish leader.

He added that Turkey is determined to occupy a worthy niche in the new world order that will emerge after the pandemic.

Turkey in 1963 signed an association agreement with the EU (at that time – the EEC), and in 1987 applied for membership in the union. However, accession negotiations began only in 2005, and were repeatedly suspended due to disagreements. 16 out of 35 chapters of the negotiation dossier are now open. In March 2016, Brussels stepped up negotiations in exchange for Turkey’s agreement to help reduce the flow of migrants to Europe.

However, relations between the EU and Turkey deteriorated after an armed coup attempt in the country in the summer of 2016 – the EU criticized the ensuing reaction of the Turkish authorities, mass arrests and other measures of Ankara and suspended preparations for the opening of new chapters of the negotiating dossier on Turkey’s accession to the European Union.