Turkish President Erdogan congratulates European people on Europe Day

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated the people of Europe on the occasion of May 9 Europe Day.

According to a statement on the social media account of Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, President Erdogan, in his congratulatory message, stated that Europe Day is a symbol of the political and economic integration process of Europe, which started with the Schuman Declaration in 1950.

Emphasising that the EU, the embodiment of European integration, has been facing multidimensional global and regional challenges in recent years, Erdogan said: “The future of the European security architecture is being discussed; the silence on the massacres in Gaza for 19 months and the failure to develop an effective policy to stop Israel's attacks lead to the questioning of the values of the Union.”

Underlining that the EU today needs a visionary and courageous perspective, Erdogan said: "In these difficult times, an inclusive and integrative European Union that is not captive to the interests of its individual members, but focuses on the common interests of the continent, is in the interest of everyone. Our country, which is a candidate for EU membership despite all the obstacles it faces, is also a guarantee for the survival of the Union with its humanitarian, peaceful and constructive policies and fair solutions in crises and conflicts."

"As a matter of fact, recent transatlantic and global developments, which have affected the whole world and caused traditional policies to be reviewed, have once again demonstrated the importance of Türkiye-Union relations,” he said.

“Despite the unfair attitude of some individuals and groups claiming to represent the institutions of the European Union against our country from time to time,” Erdogan said he still believes that the EU “will show the prudence to act with a long-term and strategic perspective on the basis of mutual benefit in the coming period. On this occasion, I congratulate the European people, especially my own citizens, on Europe Day."