Erdogan: EU accession is not a priority for Turkey

For Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his country's accession to the EU is no longer a priority.

Ankara has not closed the door to joining, but it is not a priority, he said in an interview with Al Jazeera broadcaster. “The European Union is not a priority for us,” he said. In his view, the EU would be the loser if it continued to reject Turkey.

Turkey has been a candidate for EU membership since 1999. Accession negotiations were opened in 2005, but are now completely on hold due to the country's continued regression in the areas of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

The Turkish leadership has recently come under criticism for its crackdown on the opposition, particularly the imprisonment of Erdogan's rival and former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The mammoth trial against Imamoglu continues today amidst great attention at the courthouse in Istanbul's Silivri district. He is accused, among other things, of corruption, money laundering and forming a criminal organization.

The Turkish opposition sees the proceedings against Imamoglu as politically motivated and accuses Erdogan of wanting to use the judiciary to eliminate his most prominent rival. The government rejects any influence on the judiciary.