Turkey: Erdogan Mulls Joining SCO, Say EU Not Only Option
Joining the EU is not the only option, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the Turkish Milliyet newspaper reported Nov. 20.
“Turkey is discussing the issue of joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),” President Erdogan said.
EU leaders and Turkey have agreed a comprehensive plan that opens a safe and legal route to the EU for Syrian refugees while reducing irregular migration.
The plan finalizes the one-for-one principle that EU leaders and Turkey provisionally agreed on March 7: all new irregular migrants crossing from Turkey into Greek islands will be returned to Turkey; and for every Syrian returned to Turkey from Greek islands, another Syrian will be resettled from Turkey to the EU.
Turkey should have an economic cooperation agreement and keep NATO membership. If EU turns too far opposed to Turkey it should drop any further attempts to join EU.