Turkey no longer needs to join the European Union, but will not unilaterally abandon the stalled EU accession talks, China&#39;s Xinhua news agency reported late Sunday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the Turkish parliament that the country no longer needs to join the EU.

&quot;We will not be the side which gives up.

&ldquo;To tell the truth, we don&#39;t need EU membership anymore.

&quot;The EU failed us in a fight against terrorism,&quot; Erdogan was reported as saying on Sunday, although he also suggested the bloc still needed Turkey.

&quot;If the EU is going to leap forward, there is only one way to do so&hellip;and it is to grant Turkey membership and start an action of cultural and economic growth,&quot; Erdogan said.

- Bernama

He claims, however, that the bloc still needs Turkey if it wants to make a &#39;leap forward.&#39;