Ticker
Erdogan: Turkey will keep pushing for EU membership
By EUobserver
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said his country would "stubbornly" continue to push for European Union membership. Speaking in Ankara, he said that "Turkey proceeds on its way persistently despite those trying to exclude it from the European family". Erdogan accused the EU of leaving Turkey alone to shoulder the refugee burden. It is housing some 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Turkey first applied for EU membership in 1987.