Only Türkiye, its EU membership can save Europe from its deadlock on economy, defense: President Erdogan

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Only Türkiye can rescue the EU from the "deadlock it has fallen into" on matters including economy and defense, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

"It is Türkiye and its full EU membership that can save the European Union from its deadlock, ranging from the economy to defense and from politics to international reputation," Erdogan said in a televised address after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Türkiye can provide “lifeline” to rapidly aging economy and the demographic structure of Europe, he added.

Erdogan said liberal democracy, the "most alluring ideology" of the past century, has entered a serious crisis, and the void is being filled by "far-right demagogues," referring to recent election wins by the far-right in Europe.

He also touched on Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestinian territories and said western organizations and leaders “who watched slaughter" of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, in Gaza have failed test of humanity."