Thursday, 24 November 2005Angela Merkel, making a priority of foreign policy on her first full day as Germany's new chancellor, said yesterday that "close strategic ties" with Turkey are important for Europe, hinting at her suggestion for privileged partnership with the European Union in lieu of full membership.
"A close strategic connection of Turkey to Europe is important," Merkel said after talks with President Jacques Chirac of France -- which she chose as her first foreign stop as chancellor. Previous German Prime Minister Schroder had promised Turkey in the name of Germany that Turkey would eventually become a EU member and privilege membership was not on the agenda.
Merkel, sworn in Tuesday, said negotiations on Turkey's membership aspirations are "a long process."
"We will shape it -- and I have told the Turkish foreign minister this -- in a way that is mutually beneficial to our countries and the EU," she said.
Chirac, who was close to Merkel's predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, also stressed continuity in the traditionally close French-German relationship.
"We have a common vision of Europe," Chirac told reporters, and added that "a really solid French-German axis" is needed for Europe to work well.
Blair Urges Turkey on Freedom of Expression
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday urged Turkey to abide by EU standards of freedom of expression in order to join the bloc, but also acknowledged that Turkey had already made some considerable progress to this end.
Labour MP Martin Caton asked Blair to put pressure on Turkey to call off the Dec. 16 trial of author Orhan Pamuk, who has been charged with "insulting the nation's character" by asserting that Turks killed a million Armenians in the early 20th century.
Caton asked Blair whether "a prerequisite for membership of the EU should be protection for the right of free speech."
Blair said his government had raised the issue with Turkish authorities.
"It's important, of course: If Turkey wants to become a member of the EU, it has to abide by the criteria for membership including the criterion on freedom of expression," Blair said.
"I hope, however, that you would also agree that Turkey has gone a considerable way down the path of reform in the past few years and I hope that as part of the future reforms, these issues can also be dealt with so that they can proceed to membership of the EU that I believe is in the interest of Turkey, Europe and the wider world."
The New Anatolian, JTW and News Agencies
24 November 2005 |
Thursday, 24 November 2005
Turkey and EU
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