Treffie
03-30-2010, 09:42 AM
Turkish prime minister accuses German chancellor after Merkel repeats opposition to Turkish EU membership
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany today sought to defuse worsening tensions with Turkey after Ankara accused her of harbouring hatred towards Turks.
Halfway through a sensitive two-day trip to Ankara and Istanbul, Merkel was confronted with boycotts and demands over Turkey's European Union ambitions, and the treatment of the three million Turks in Germany, the country's biggest ethnic minority, as well as tension over Iran and Armenia.
On the eve of her visit Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the combative Turkish prime minister, charged Merkel with "hatred" for Turks. The chancellor also earned criticism at home for raising her Christian Democratic party's hostility to Turkey's EU membership to the level of government policy.
Erdogan reinforced his reputation for diplomatic bluntness by repeating critical remarks about Germany and about Merkel herself.
Two years ago in a sports stadium in Cologne, Erdogan caused outrage in Germany by dubbing alleged policies of assimilation of the Turkish minority as a "crime against humanity".
At the weekend he upped the ante by calling for the establishment of special Turkish high schools in Germany and the abolition of a German ban on dual citizenship so that Turks in Germany could acquire German passports while keeping their Turkish ID papers.
Merkel promptly dismissed the demand. "What we want is people who live among us over several generations to integrate into this country," she said. "That obviously involves learning the German language and obeying German laws."
Erdogan responded robustly. "Why this hatred against Turkey?" he asked. "I would not have expected that from Chancellor Merkel. Is Turkey a whipping boy?"
Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition party in Turkey, said he would boycott a planned meeting with the German leader.
Cem Ozdemir, the German Greens leader who is of Turkish origin, warned of a "dramatic deterioration" in relations between Berlin and Ankara as Merkel went to Turkey for the second time since becoming chancellor.
She raised Turkish hackles by opting to reiterate her longstanding opposition to Turkish membership of the EU although Ankara has been in negotiations to join the EU for five years.
She told a Turkish newspaper that Ankara should instead be granted a "privileged partnership" with the EU, a unique status that has not been conferred on any other country that has negotiated its way to membership. She added that Turkey could apply some 80% of EU law.
"Such a thing as privileged partnership does not exist, so we do not take that option seriously," said Egemen Bagis, Turkey's Europe minister. "At times I feel insulted for being offered something which does not exist."
Large parts of the membership negotiations are blocked because of Turkey's involvement in the Cyprus dispute and its refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot goods.
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is also strongly opposed to Turkey's EU membership.
Merkel's junior coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats, is in favour of Turkey joining the EU and she was accused of wrongly turning her party policy into government policy.
Germany and Turkey have an intimate if troubled relationship because of the large numbers of Turks in Germany and the thriving trade between the regional giant and Europe's biggest economy.
The arguments between Berlin and Ankara are taking place against a background of growing assertiveness as Turkey builds itself into a formidable regional power straddling Europe, the Middle East, and central Asia, while Europe's self-confidence is on the decline
Source (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/29/angela-merkel-visit-hatred-turks)
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany today sought to defuse worsening tensions with Turkey after Ankara accused her of harbouring hatred towards Turks.
Halfway through a sensitive two-day trip to Ankara and Istanbul, Merkel was confronted with boycotts and demands over Turkey's European Union ambitions, and the treatment of the three million Turks in Germany, the country's biggest ethnic minority, as well as tension over Iran and Armenia.
On the eve of her visit Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the combative Turkish prime minister, charged Merkel with "hatred" for Turks. The chancellor also earned criticism at home for raising her Christian Democratic party's hostility to Turkey's EU membership to the level of government policy.
Erdogan reinforced his reputation for diplomatic bluntness by repeating critical remarks about Germany and about Merkel herself.
Two years ago in a sports stadium in Cologne, Erdogan caused outrage in Germany by dubbing alleged policies of assimilation of the Turkish minority as a "crime against humanity".
At the weekend he upped the ante by calling for the establishment of special Turkish high schools in Germany and the abolition of a German ban on dual citizenship so that Turks in Germany could acquire German passports while keeping their Turkish ID papers.
Merkel promptly dismissed the demand. "What we want is people who live among us over several generations to integrate into this country," she said. "That obviously involves learning the German language and obeying German laws."
Erdogan responded robustly. "Why this hatred against Turkey?" he asked. "I would not have expected that from Chancellor Merkel. Is Turkey a whipping boy?"
Deniz Baykal, leader of the main opposition party in Turkey, said he would boycott a planned meeting with the German leader.
Cem Ozdemir, the German Greens leader who is of Turkish origin, warned of a "dramatic deterioration" in relations between Berlin and Ankara as Merkel went to Turkey for the second time since becoming chancellor.
She raised Turkish hackles by opting to reiterate her longstanding opposition to Turkish membership of the EU although Ankara has been in negotiations to join the EU for five years.
She told a Turkish newspaper that Ankara should instead be granted a "privileged partnership" with the EU, a unique status that has not been conferred on any other country that has negotiated its way to membership. She added that Turkey could apply some 80% of EU law.
"Such a thing as privileged partnership does not exist, so we do not take that option seriously," said Egemen Bagis, Turkey's Europe minister. "At times I feel insulted for being offered something which does not exist."
Large parts of the membership negotiations are blocked because of Turkey's involvement in the Cyprus dispute and its refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot goods.
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is also strongly opposed to Turkey's EU membership.
Merkel's junior coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats, is in favour of Turkey joining the EU and she was accused of wrongly turning her party policy into government policy.
Germany and Turkey have an intimate if troubled relationship because of the large numbers of Turks in Germany and the thriving trade between the regional giant and Europe's biggest economy.
The arguments between Berlin and Ankara are taking place against a background of growing assertiveness as Turkey builds itself into a formidable regional power straddling Europe, the Middle East, and central Asia, while Europe's self-confidence is on the decline
Source (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/29/angela-merkel-visit-hatred-turks)