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Ankara not planning to abandon cooperation with EU, NATO — ambassador

Turkey's ambassador says the country wants to have membership in the EU

MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. Turkey has no plans of giving up dialogue with the European Union and NATO but won’t allow anyone to dictate it how to carry out its foreign policy, Turkish Ambassador to Russia Umit Yardim said on Thursday.

"We are not planning to leave NATO, and there is no talk of abandoning dialogue with the EU, these are speculations," Yardim said. "But we are conducting an independent foreign policy," he added.

The diplomat said Turkey seeks to develop cooperation with all parties. "We are interested in contacts with everyone," he said.

Speaking on cooperation with the EU, Yardim said Turkey wants to have membership in the bloc, but this does not mean that everything is "subordinated to this goal."