06/04/2010 11:45
Turkey doesn’t want to be a burden to EU, says Erdogan
Turkey does not want to be a burden to the European Union, but rather to help in sharing difficulties it has confronted, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday on his two-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Turkey is a big country, but we don't want to become a burden to the European Union. We want to take over our part of the burden," Erdogan said at the press conference.
"We are doing our job and we count that we will join the EU sooner or later. If they do not accept us, we will not lose anything, and they will choose to be a Christian club," he said.
Turkey has been campaigning for joining the European Union for many years; after its long-term efforts failed, Turkish leaders are sending a message for Europe: you need us as much as we need you.