Turkish Deputy PM Says Ankara Has No Intention to Break Relations With West

Ankara does not intend to break relations with the western countries despite their recent deterioration over Turkish pre-referendum rallies, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Commenting on the situation between Turkey and the European Union, heated by harsh statements of senior officials, Simsek said that he kept on believing that Europe and Turkey were important for each other and should not abandon earlier agreements in light of reforms or elections.

"Turkey will not break up with the West. On the contrary, we want to enhance relations with the West," Simsek said on the sidelines of the 20th Eurasian Economic Summit in Istanbul, as quoted by the Hurriyet newspaper.

"We are committed to delivering reforms within the EU context… We are not going to give up on that… We do not want Turkey to be used for domestic football at a time where there are many elections [in Europe]," Simsek added.

Relations between Turkey and a number of European countries have worsened recently after several pro-referendum rallies held by Turkish officials, aimed at gaining support from Turkish citizens living abroad, were canceled in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Following such bans, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared German, and later, Dutch, authorities to Nazis.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu came forth with criticism directed at Europe, after the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), outlawed in Turkey, held a protest against Erdogan in Switzerland's Bern. Cavusoglu called the protest "unacceptable", saying that Europe "slides into the abyss."