Turkey has been in the European Union’s waiting hall for half a century, patience is running out – Turkish Deputy Prime Minister

For the last half a century, Turkey has been in the European Union’s waiting hall, however no further steps have been made and this is disappointing, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Simsek, has said.  Simsek was speaking to the 13th Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy.

“Turkey signed the Articles of Association Agreement in 1963. We have been sitting in the waiting hall for half a century, and you should appreciate that our patience is running out. There’s some disappointment - sorry for saying that - some frustration,” Simsek said.

Simsek also said that Turkey implemented all the requisite reforms.

“Prime Minister Erdoagan is a reform figure, he is the Turkish leader, he has implemented all the necessary reforms, even those which could not have been imagined. We have surprised, even unpleasantly surprised, some of our European friends,” Simsek said.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Simsek, called for respect towards Turkey’s European aspirations.

“For us, Europe is not only the Association Agreement, that is half a century old, it’s about several hundred years of ties with Europe. We are not looking for money, we are not looking for help: we just want be firmly anchored to Europe,” Simsek said.