EU a key anchor and Turkey not to lose it: Deputy PM

The European Union is a significant anchor for Turkey and the country will not lose it, said a top economy official, adding that if Turkey can maintain its progress on the road to EU integration, it will succeed in overcoming many problems and reducing risks to a minimum.

"I am not pessimistic about the EU membership process. Even during these difficult days, we see a number of key positive developments regarding this process. The EU is a key anchor for Turkey. We will not lose it, although we have some disagreements time to time. I do not see any disintegration [of ties] with the West. This, of course, does not mean we should ignore the Middle East, which would be a wrong strategy," Deputy PM Mehmet Şimşek told NTV on Dec. 27. 

He also strongly refuted several claims about the country's preparation for capital controls. 

"This has never been the case. We are a key constituent of the global economy. Turkey is in need of a considerable fund inflow and we can overcome such obstacles only as long as we obey global economic norms. We can overcome these problems by maintaining our EU integration process so as to keep our risk premium at a minimum. During a time when protectionism is on the rise, Turkey wants to modernize its Customs Union deal with the EU so as to include services, agriculture and public procurement acquisitions in the deal. The country is also trying to sign free trade deals with Gulf countries as well. We never consider any move incompliant with market norms," added Şimşek. 

He also noted that some recent problems with the EU should be seen like "disagreements between family members." 

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