Schröder: We Should Keep Our Promise to Turkey

In a statement to Focus magazine, Schröder stressed that German governments have been saying since 1963 that if Turkey fulfills certain conditions, it would be a European Union member. Schröder was adamant that this promise should be kept.

"The conditions for Turkey’s accession to the E.U. could be enumerated as democracy, state of the law, respect for the rights of minorities and a few others," continued the Chancellor. He added:

"The European Commission will examine these not just in terms of legal points, but also how they are implemented. A report will be prepared about it. I am waiting for this report. If it is positive, we could start the discussions."