Erdogan: EU membership is no longer a priority for Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that membership in the European Union (EU) is no longer a priority for Turkey, Al Jazeera reports.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, which will be broadcast on Sunday, Erdogan said that the EU is not ready to accept Turkey and that Europe will be the loser because of this.

The Turkish President said in an interview on the "Al Mukabala" show that he received a promise from United States President Donald Trump regarding Turkey's return to the F-35 military aircraft program and that he is waiting for it to be fulfilled.

Turkey was kicked out of the multinational F-35 program in 2019 after it purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system, which Washington claimed could compromise the stealth jets.

Standing next to Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara last month, Trump said his administration would lift sanctions on Turkey imposed in December 2020 over its purchase of the S-400, and said returning to the F-35 program was something the US would consider.

Lifting sanctions on Turkey imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act would help speed up the country's re-admission to the F-35 program, but other legal hurdles would still remain in the process.

In addition, there is resistance in the US Congress to the sale of F-35 aircraft to Turkey, according to Al Jazeera.

Erdogan said that Egypt could join the defense agreement recently signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and that other countries could join.