Erdogan Says Vote On EU Membership Talks 'Has No Value'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (file photo)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the European Union a day ahead of a vote by the European Parliament on whether to halt EU membership talks with Ankara.

Speaking in Istanbul on November 23 at the opening of a conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (IOC), Erdogan said that "whatever the result, this vote has no value in our eyes."

Erdogan said "none of the promises" made to Turkey by EU member countries have been kept regarding Turkey's path to EU membership.

He said Turkey has "made clear time and time again that we take care of European values more than many EU countries, but we could not see concrete support from Western friends."

Leading members of the European Parliament on November 22 called for membership talks with Turkey to be halted in response to a crackdown against Erdogan's political rivals following a failed coup attempt in July.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa