Angela Merkel accused of hatred towards Turkey

[Treffie]

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

[Hrolf Kraki]

Says the man who wants the Armenians out of his country. What a hypocrite. I don't see what all the fuss is about anyways. Turkey isn't a part of the European continent. It's not Merkel's fault that they're asiatic. Go cry to someone who gives a damn.

[poiuytrewq0987]

[Arne]

Yes, even Cem Özdemir warned, i guess he know about the genocide what the turkics had done.
Erdogan want to have some Turkic schools so they don´t feel the need to learn german.
What a Bullshit !!!
Then this sort of People don´t belong here and should get out immediately..

[Cato]

*sniff*

According to my mum, when she was in Germany (30+ years ago), there were plenty of Turks already there and the male Turks used to love to bother the German women and the wives of U.S. servicemen (like my mum was at the time). So, the troops at least, made a game of "Turk-hunting," going out, finding some Turks and roughing them up to teach them a lesson. This was in Frankfurt, btw.

[Borat Paor]

Turkey belongs to the EU. Merkel's resistance is futile. The decision about Turkey's membership in the EU has already been brought. She will have to comply. If she doesn't, she will be ousted from the office and someone else will come who won't oppose Turkey's joining the EU. She will be accused of some scandal or similar as a pretext to remove her from the office (every politician is implicated in some scandal these days).

[Hrolf Kraki]

*sniff*

According to my mum, when she was in Germany (30+ years ago), there were plenty of Turks already there and the male Turks used to love to bother the German women and the wives of U.S. servicemen (like my mum was at the time). So, the troops at least, made a game of "Turk-hunting," going out, finding some Turks and roughing them up to teach them a lesson. This was in Frankfurt, btw.

I was in Frankfurt a few years back and there were Turks everywhere! I was appalled.. They make it a point to stand out too. That stupid hairstyle! You Germans know what I'm talking about, right?

[Arne]

I was in Frankfurt a few years back and there were Turks everywhere! I was appalled.. They make it a point to stand out too. That stupid hairstyle! You Germans know what I'm talking about, right?

Don´t worry we turkics only sell our tasty döner to the Kartoffeln.
Sometimes we treat them wrong.. and they like it..

I know exactly what you mean..

[Austin]

I was in Frankfurt a few years back and there were Turks everywhere! I was appalled.. They make it a point to stand out too. That stupid hairstyle! You Germans know what I'm talking about, right?

What hairstyle? This I must see!

[Murphy]

War now pl0xz.