Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday that membership in the European Union remains a "strategic goal" for his country despite the uneasy relationship with the 28-member bloc.
Erdoğan was speaking in Istanbul before departing for the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Varna to attend a likely arduous summit meeting with EU leaders.
Erdoğan said he would urge the EU to remove "political and artificial" hurdles against Turkey's membership and revive stalled accession negotiations during talks with European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk.
"As Turkey, we have been continuing on our way with the goal of full membership (of the EU) despite all the mines that were planted on out path and barriers in front of us," he told reporters. "Today, membership in the European Union remains a strategic goal for us."
"Unfortunately on this issue (fight against terrorism), we are hearing many statements from the European Union that are in contradiction with their own principles and that never fit into our partnership's principles," Erdoğan said.
IRAQI OFFICIAL TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY
An Iraqi official was to arrive in Turkey the same day to discuss the terrorist activities in Iraq's northern Nineveh province of Sinjar district, President Erdoğan announced.
He affirmed the reports that PKK terrorists were withdrawing from the Sinjar district and Iraqi troops were being deployed to the region, saying that the Iraqi army did intervene against the terrorists.
The official is to meet with Hakan Fidan, the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Erdoğan said.
He added that Turkey was ready to take all necessary measures in case of a possible threat to the country.
The PKK first established a foothold in Sinjar in 2014 on the pretext that it was "protecting" the local Ezidi community from the Daesh terrorist group.
Turkish President also recently hinted at the possibility of a military campaign aimed at dislodging the PKK from Sinjar.
