By Ayhan Simsek
BERLIN
Turkey’s EU accession process could come under renewed scrutiny next month, Germany’s leader, Angela Merkel, warned on Tuesday.
Chancellor Merkel, who is running for re-election, said she would propose to EU leaders that they debate future ties with Turkey -- including the possibility of suspending or ending membership talks.
Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday at the last session of Germany’s parliament before Sept. 24’s federal elections, Merkel promised to raise the issue of Turkey’s EU membership at the EU-leadership level after the vote.
“At the EU Council meeting in October, I will propose discussing future relations with Turkey, including the question of whether we would suspend or end membership talks,” she said.
EU leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Oct. 19-20 for a European Council meeting.
Merkel said EU member states should maintain a united approach towards Turkey, and also refrain from giving the impression of a divided Europe.
“Nothing could be more incredible than a situation when we, as Europeans, quarrel over future relations with Turkey before the eyes of President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” Merkel warned.
“That would dramatically weaken Europe’s position. I can only advise us not to do this,” she added.
Accession talks
Any decision to end Turkey’s membership talks would require unanimity among all EU member states, which is far from certain, as several countries remain strongly opposed to such calls earlier this year, and insist on maintaining with Ankara.
The German Chancellor and her Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) bloc have long-opposed Turkey’s full EU membership but supported the continuation of accession negotiations in an open-ended way, something which was promised to Ankara before the CDU/CSU came to power in 2005.
However, Merkel came under enormous pressure this week to change this policy after her Social Democratic Party (SPD) rival Martin Schulz, during a televised face-to-face debate on Sunday night, called for a tougher line on Turkey.
In a surprise move, the SPD leader suggested immediately stopping Ankara’s EU membership talks and freezing €4 billion ($4.68 billion) in pre-accession funds.
Merkel, caught unprepared for such a move, first cited how the coalition government's foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, also a social democrat, had so far opposed ending Turkey’s EU membership talks.
But later in the debate, Merkel also sharpened her tone towards and said she would discuss with European colleagues if there was a common understanding among them on a potential decision to end Turkey’s EU membership talks.
Turkish-German tensions
Tensions between Berlin and Ankara further escalated last week after the arrest in Turkey of two German citizens of Turkish descent on suspicion of supporting terrorist groups.
Since the July 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, more than a dozen German citizens have been arrested on suspicion of providing support to illegal or terrorist groups.
While Merkel and German politicians demanded their immediate release, the Turkish authorities repeatedly stressed that the country’s judiciary is independent, ruling out any political influence on legal procedures.
Ties between Ankara and Berlin have been strained since the defeated coup attempt, as Turkish leaders slammed Germany for turning a blind eye to outlawed groups and terrorist organizations hostile to Turkey.
German politicians, on the other hand, voiced concerns over the rule of law and human rights issues amid widespread investigations by Turkish authorities into the Terrorist Organization (), which orchestrated the defeated coup attempt that left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
FETO has a large network in Germany, with dozens of private schools, businesses and media organizations.
Since the defeated coup attempt, nearly 4,000 FETO suspects have come to Germany from Turkey and other countries, according to local media reports.
Despite repeated requests by Ankara to arrest leading FETO figures, the German authorities have turned down extradition requests, arguing that Ankara should first provide sound legal evidence.
Apart from FETO, the terrorist PKK organization is also active in the and carries out significant propaganda, recruitment and funding activities.
The group has nearly 14,000 followers among Germany’s Kurdish immigrant population, according to the German domestic intelligence agency BfV.
