Germany’s Schroeder: No B plan for Turkey

Speaking after meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, Schroeder said that both had agreed on the importance of Turkey’s EU bid.
We agree on several points: first, the aim is membership and the aim will not be watered down,” he said. “Secondly, there will be a date and thirdly, as the Commission already stated, the negotiation process will take a long time. We expect 10-15 years with an open outcome to the talks.”
Another to stress Berlin’s support for Turkey’s EU bid was German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who on Monday also spoke out against proposals to offer Ankara a privileged partnership agreement with the EU, rather than full membership.
“We are not deciding on (Turkey’s EU) accession,” he said. “That will occur in 10, maybe even 15 years’ time. What we now face is (ensuring) that Turkey’s modernisation moves forward. For us the aim is membership … any watering down of that aim would in my view lead to an interruption in the successful reform process in Turkey.”