Turkey sets its own agenda, Erdogan says

ANKARA, Turkey, July 20 (UPI) -- A failure by Turkey to join the ranks of the European Union will not bring about a doomsday scenario, the Turkish prime minister said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told delegates from his Justice and Development Party that Ankara was moving forward with confidence in its bid to join the European Union.

Ankara has received modest support for its EU accession bid, though Olli Rehn, the EU commissioner for enlargement, said the accession process would be long.

Erdogan assured lawmakers, however, that if EU accession efforts fail, "it will not be doomsday for Turkey," reports Turkish daily Today's Zaman.

Turkey faces modest opposition from European member states over its human-rights records and ongoing disputes regarding Cyprus. Cyprus, however, said it would continue to block the Turkish effort.

Erdogan stood by his position that Ankara would not bow to external pressure in terms of its domestic agenda.

"Turkey is now a country that sets the agenda itself," he said.

Turkey opened talks with the EU for membership in 2005.