Erdogan says trusts Russia as much as West

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin as much as Western politicians.

The Turkish leader made the remarks in an interview with the US television station PBS.

He said Ankara has been implementing many significant projects together with Putin and the Russian leadership in general and is going to continue to do so.

"I have no reason not to trust. As reliable as the West is, Russia is just as reliable. For 50 years, the European Union has kept us waiting at its door. Now I trust Russia as much as I trust the West," Erdogan said.

The Turkish president emphasised that he strongly disagrees with claims that the Russian leadership "cannot be trusted". "Half of my natural gas comes from Russia, which means we are in solidarity. We are also implementing a whole range of other joint projects with the Russian Federation. For example, we cooperate in defence and security, as well as in industry," Erdogan added.

Türkiye's president has warned that the military conflict in Ukraine is likely to be "very long", but Russian President Vladimir Putin "would like it to end as soon as possible". "Vladimir Putin, like me, is in favour of an early end to the war in Ukraine. I say this only from his words, Putin wants this war to end as soon as possible. This is what he said and I believe his words," Erdogan emphasised.

Meanwhile, commenting on Türkiye's possible accession to the European Union (EU), Erdogan said: "We have always been a self-sufficient country. We have never needed and do not need the EU's help or support." He also emphasised that Türkiye attaches importance to EU decisions. Erdogan recalled that Türkiye has been at the door of the European community for 50 years.”

Earlier it became known that Türkiye would not be accepted as a member of the European Union in 2024. The process of joining the EU usually takes many years, and at the moment the EU is not considering granting Türkiye membership status. In turn, Erdogan warned of a possible breakdown in relations between Türkiye and the European Union.

Furthermore, the Turkish president said that the Swedish authorities are making insufficient steps for the country to join NATO.

“Stockholm is not fighting terrorism sufficiently. Ankara still sees "terrorists travelling through the streets of Stockholm," he said.

"To join NATO, Sweden must of course fulfil its promises. Terrorist organisations must immediately stop their demonstrations and actions on the streets of Stockholm. Because it will be very important for the Turkish people to see that this is really happening. Sweden seems to have changed the law, but it is not enough," Erdogan added.