EU attitude toward Turkey far from constructive: Erdogan
Turkish President Erdogan said that Turkey will continue hosting the four million refugees currently residing in the country regardless of the EU's help, but will open the doors to Europe if it can no longer handle the issue alone.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting's joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary on November 7, 2019.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised on Thursday the European Union for its attitude toward Turkey.
"Recently, the EU's attitude toward our country is far from constructive," Erdogan said at a news conference in Budapest, Hungary’s capital, alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Erdogan said bilateral problems of some EU member countries with Turkey should not hinder the relations between Turkey and the EU.
His remarks came after co-chairing the 4th meeting of the Turkey-Hungary High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council with Orban.
TRT World's Ali Mustafa reports.
The president reiterated that Turkey hosts 4 million refugees and a "significant number" of them are "likely to migrate, especially to Europe."
Erdogan said Turkey will continue hosting Syrian people "whether or not support comes" from the EU.
However, he said, Turkey will have to open the doors if it cannot handle the issue.
Orban, for his part, said it is not possible to stop migration flow to Europe without Turkey.
He said Turkey should be supported in its efforts for the return of refugees to their homeland.
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