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Turkey urged to remove rose-colored glasses, drop illusions about EU welcome mat — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia intends to continue its relationship with the Republic of Turkey

MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. Nobody in Europe is looking forward to Turkey joining the European Union, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, as he advised Ankara to stop viewing things through rose-colored glasses.

Asked to comment on whether the Kremlin sees an increasingly pro-Western turn in Ankara’s policies, Peskov said, "Turkey can tilt toward the West, and we know that there were times in the history of the Republic of Turkey when it was oriented heavily toward the West, and times when it was not so Western-oriented <…> but, let’s call a spade a spade, nobody wants to see Turkey as a part of Europe, and I mean the Europeans [themselves]."

"Our Turkish partners should take off their rose-colored glasses," the Russian presidential spokesman said.

"Notwithstanding all the well-known differences in opinion [between Ankara and Moscow], we intend to continue developing our dialogue and our relationship with the Republic of Turkey wherever it may benefit us and wherever it may benefit them," Peskov concluded.