Turkey should be given full EU membership: Barack Obama

Turkey should become a full member of the European Union, US President Barack Obama said in an interview with local Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra.

According to Obama if not given the chance Turkey will seek membership in other alliances,

"Turkey is a country that is located on the crossroad of the East and the West and it is of immense strategic importance. It is an ally of NATO and has a growing economy. And in so far as Turkey is a democratic country, and most of its population is Muslims, it will serve a good example for other Muslim countries in the region. Given that we think we should have warm relations with Ankara," said Obama.

"Though we are not part of EU, we think that it would be a right decision to give Turkey membership to EU … Naturally, Turks will seek membership in other alliances, should they feel they are not part of the European family," added Barak Obama.