Europe's security unimaginable without Türkiye: President Erdogan

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Europe's security without Türkiye is unimaginable, said the nation’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.

Türkiye sees its EU membership process as "strategic priority," as it is an “inseparable part of Europe," Erdogan said in an address to foreign ambassadors serving in the capital Ankara.

"It is becoming increasingly impossible for Europe to continue as a global actor without Türkiye taking its rightful place," he said during an iftar meal, the end of the daytime fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

- Israel will not find peace without establishment of Palestinian state

"Israel will not find the peace it seeks without the establishment of independent Palestinian state with territorial integrity based on the 1967 borders,” Erdogan warned.

"As if their calls for annexation of the West Bank were not enough, Israeli government ministers are playing with fire with provocations targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque," he added, reiterating that the historic Jerusalem mosque is a “red line” for Türkiye.