Merkel positive on Turkey talks but doubtful over EU accession

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is optimistic that stalled EU accession talks with Turkey can be restarted this year, but restated her doubts yesterday of the country ever joining the bloc.

After she met Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday in Berlin, the two leaders agreed to push for progress to help Syrian refugees and renew efforts to integrate three million people in Germany of Turkish origin.

“I have personally said that we are in a negotiation process that has an open outcome and no fixed time frame,” said Dr Merkel of EU accession talks that began in 2005. “There’s no secret about my view . . . that I am sceptical about full membership for Turkey.” For a decade, Dr Merkel has performed a delicate balancing act: as leader of the ruling Christian Democratic Union, she has argued Turkey should be offered a “preferred partnership” rather than full EU membership. As German chancellor she is committed to the accession talks.

Biggest obstacles
Yesterday she said she was in favour of removing two obstacles: chapters 23 and 24 of talks, dealing with justice, freedom and security issues. Talks have stalled amid concerns about the rule of law in Turkey and an unresolved territorial dispute with Cyprus.

Mr Erdogan said he shared Dr Merkel’s optimism that progress was likely this year in EU talks, but pushed for more movement from Germany. At a Berlin think tank before his meeting, he said: “I’d like to remind you that the population of Turks in Germany alone is greater than the population of many European countries.”

Ahead of local elections in Turkey next month, Mr Erdogan held a rally in Berlin yesterday evening to attract support from over one million registered voters for his Justice and Development Party.

The Turkish leader’s visit was marked by vocal protest across the capital. At the Brandenburg Gate, more than 2,000 Turkish-Germans protested against what they see as rising corruption and a crackdown by the Erdogan administration on civil rights. “He is a crook and a bandit,” said one young woman, waving a sign for “Democracy now, everywhere!”

Mr Erdogan said he faced a “judicial coup” intended to undermine his government ahead of March elections.