Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the European Union will slow down the accession of Ukraine and Moldova, adding that Ankara has long earned the right to join the EU. He said this after returning from Hungary, where he met with its Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Reuters reports.


"Granting them candidate status does not mean that they will become EU members. They will start a process that will also stall. None of these countries is Turkey," Erdogan's press service quoted him as saying.


"It is wrong that Turkey, which is more ready to join the EU than some member states, has been waiting outside the door for years because of political obstacles," he added.


According to him, Turkey's strategic and economic potential "has long earned" the right to join the EU. He noted that progress in this process will be seen during Hungary's EU presidency, which will begin in July 2024, with which Turkey has good ties.


"The EU should step back from this mistake now," Erdogan emphasized.