The European Union needs Turkey more than Ankara needs the bloc, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday, April 19, denouncing a new European Parliament report that was sharply critical of the rule of law in his country, AFP reports.
His comments come amid controversy in Europe over a deal between Brussels and Turkey to stop the flow of migrants from war-torn Syria and other troubled countries to EU territory.
"The European Union needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the European Union," Erdogan said to cheers in a televised speech to municipal leaders in Ankara, denouncing as "provocative" last week's European Parliament report which accused Ankara of backsliding on democracy.
He lashed out at the report for not praising Turkey's hosting of some 2.7 million refugees from the war in neighbouring Syria, AFP says.
"Three million people have been looked after in this country so they don't disturb the Europeans. Is there anything about this in the report?" said Erdogan.
"At a time when our relations with the European Union are in a positive phase regarding the migrants... it is provocative to come out with a report like that," he added.
Turkey has been given a string of promises from the European Union in return for stepping up work to stop migrants crossing to EU territory and also taking them back.
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