‘Turkey has Already Crossed the Bridge for EU Membership’

Hoppe, who was in Sanliurfa as a guest of the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP) management committee, answered the questions of journalists after being briefed about investment in GAP.

Hoppe expressed that the reforms of Turkey have affected EU members in a positive way for the most part. He said that the negotiations between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen were indicative of the strides Turkey has made.

"This process can take years. Turkey has crossed the bridge for application to EU membership. Meanwhile the economic criteria should be readied, as this is what the EU will ultimately ask for," explained Hoppe.

Austrian Ambassador to Turkey Dr. Marius Calligaris remarked that the negotiations made in regards to Turkey’s membership to the EU are a crucial step for Brussels.

"We want Turkey to access the EU, too," he added.