Schinas: Turkey must choose whether to side with the EU and NATO or Russia, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah
Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, in a speech in Brussels on Thursday, said that Turkey has to pick a side in international geopolitics.
In his speech at the 2nd Eastern Mediterranean & Southeast Europe Conference organized by the Delphi Economic Forum, Schinas stressed that Turkey has to make the choice between siding with the EU, NATO and their values, or with Russia, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
More specifically, Schinas noted that “last Saturday we all woke up to the shocking news of a violent multi-front terrorist attack launched by Hamas against the State of Israel and innocent people. From the first moment, all 27 EU member states unanimously recognized Israel’s right to defend itself, denounced the terrorist attack and said loudly that there is no justification for terror.”
“Turkey has to choose which side of history it wants to be on: with us – the European Union, NATO, our values, the ethos of the West – or with Moscow, Tehran, Hamas, and Hezbollah,” he underlined, pointing out that “the answer needs to be clear.”
At the same time, he noted that Turkey is a key partner for stability in Europe and the region in areas such as migration and trade.
Speaking about the meetings between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, he said that they allow optimism for overcoming the difficulties and unleashing the full potential of the Euro-Turkish partnership, adding that “for this to happen, consistency is required.”
Schinas also criticized the fact that Ankara does not participate in the sanctions against Russia.
Schnias concluded with a message to EU candidate countries on the importance of “absolute respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. No membership will be granted without the strictest compliance with these conditions. Any backsliding, any hiding, or any doubt- as we witness with the case of the democratically elected mayor of Himare- might undermine the progress towards becoming an EU member state.”
