President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye criticised the standstill in Ankara's EU accession process.
Addressing the fifth summit of the European Political Community in Budapest, Erdoğan said, "There is no reasonable justification for blocking for years the accession of a member country like Türkiye, which significantly contributes to the prosperity and security of the continent."
Erdoğan asserted that the complete engagement of Türkiye in the European Union's defense efforts was indispensable for the peace and security of the European continent.
"It is the collective responsibility of all to fight terrorism in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity, without any distinctions among terrorist organisations," Erdoğan added.
Erdoğan also denounced the protracted conflict in Ukraine, saying, "The detrimental effects of the war in Ukraine are becoming more severe each passing day. This war's protracted duration also limits diplomatic manoeuvring. In recent weeks, I have spoken with Putin and engaged in discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine prior to that. I indicated to them that they needed to allow room for diplomatic manoeuvring."