Will Turkey always remain an EU candidate?"

At a panel, "Will Turkey always remain an EU candidate?" organized in Berlin last week and statements by the officials contained some hints on the German political approach towards the issue. Opposition Christian Democrat Union (CDU) representative Roland Gewalt, stating that they think Turkey’s membership is unlikely in the short and medium term, also implies: "Under these circumstances, Turkey will not gain anything from EU membership. In referendums, Turkey’s membership may not even be approved."

Accepting a group of Turkish journalists, who went to Germany within the framework of a trip organized by the German journalists’ organization, ‘Journalists-network,’ CDU Secretary-General Laurenz Meyer related his party’s objections to the situation that the EU is in right now. Interpreting the decision adopted at the Copenhagen Summit as a mistake and blaming the current administration for not being honest with Turkey, Meyer claimed that the EU accepting Turkey, without first integrating the 10 new members would mean ruining itself. The solution he suggested was to improve relations with Turkey to a certain level during the integration process. Stressing that, "if Turkey’s population were 1.5 million, we would not have been discussing this issue at all," CDU officials stated that the Turkish army’s role in politics and Turkey’s image, particularly caused by the Turkish workers in Germany, should be corrected. Meyer said they would not use the issue of Turkey’s EU membership as a mean for political gains, in EU parliamentary polls.

From the perspective of Germany’s attitude, having a critical role, the Liberal Free Democrat Party (FDP) officials have the view that of the EU rejecting Turkey’s membership would be a big mistake. Stating similar concerns of the Christian Democrats, FDP representative Dr. Ole Diehl said: "It does not serve our interest to say no; however, the decision has not been made very fast. There are economic problems. These are the EU’s problems, but, if the EU collapses, it would not be good for Turkey as well."

Ulker Radziwill and Anna Luhrmann, speaking on behalf of government partners, the Social Democrat Party (SDP) and Union 90/Greens Party, respectively, defended Turkey as making serious reforms, and added that membership decision would depend on Ankara adapting to the [EU] criteria. In addition to Luhrmann’s warning that Turkey should not be sacrificed for the EU’s failure in not making necessary reforms, Radziwill’s statement, "what confuses me is how the new members will decide on this issue," is worth paying attention to.

German foreign affairs sources stressed that as long as Turkey adapts to the criteria, there is no problem.Stating contrary to the CDU theory, that Turkey’s population ratio has got nothing to do with membership, the same sources added that Turkish officials, even though as observers, attend EU meetings and have gotten used to European diplomacy. Chatting with Turkish and German journalists, Greens Party and former member of the German parliament, Cem Ozdemir, notes that the issue has turned into a serious internal controversy in Germany and underlines that the idea of conditional membership option for Turkey wins more supporters.