WASHINGTON, United States — President Barack Obama warned on Thursday (July 8th) that Turkey might seek alliances outside the West if the EU keeps demonstrating “reluctance” over its membership bid. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Obama said “I do not think that Europe’s slow pace or reluctance is the only or the principal factor behind some of the changes we have observed recently in Turkey’s orientation … [but] it is inevitably destined to impact on the way Turkish people see Europe. If they do not feel themselves part of the European family, it is natural that they are going to look elsewhere for alliances and affiliations.”
However, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu dismissed concerns that his country is moving away from the West and reaffirmed that Turkey’s top priority remains EU membership. “Our integration process into the EU is the most strategic objective of Turkey. Nobody can blame Turkey for the delay in this process,” he told the Financial Times.
Source : SETimes