German Chancellor restates his support for Turkey’s EU bid

"I am quite sure that the way it (reform) has been adopted will be extremely helpful in fulfilling Turkey’s desire to one day become a full member of the Union. These hopes can not and must not be squashed… It’s in the geopolitical interest of Europe and Germany but also in Germany’s national interests," Schroeder said.
"Erdogan’s name has become inextricably linked with the very good progress which Turkey has recently made on bolstering its democracy," he added.
Erdogan in his part said, "The European Union is not a cultural, religious or geographic community. It is a community of values. We will not forget the help given to us by Chancellor Schroeder in Copenhagen. We hope that this support will continue."