BERLIN (AA) – Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has called on the European governments to revive Turkey’s EU process by opening new chapters in accession talks.
“Opening new chapters can trigger domestic political reforms in Turkey,” said SPD’s Foreign Policy spokesman Rolf Muetzenich on Thursday, adding that these reforms would address current problems, strengthen human rights and the rule of law. He underlined that several governments who opposed Turkey’s EU process have led to frustration in Turkey and undermined the support for the process.
Praising European Commission’s recent Progress Report on Turkey for offering a “very balanced” account of the political situation in the county, SPD’s Muetzenich underlined that the report highlighted problems in several areas such as freedom of press, but also gave credit to the significant reform efforts of the Turkish government.
In his interview to the public radio Deutschlandfunk, Muetzenich expressed support for the Turkish government’s reforms addressing the Kurdish issue and expressed optimism on the ongoing debate at the parliament on a new Constitution.
-‘Turkey would be a strategic advantage’
SPD’s Foreign Policy spokesman Rolf Muetzenich underlined that reviving Turkey’s EU process would not only trigger reforms in the candidate country but also increase Europe’s positive influence in the Arab region.
“It would be a strategic advantage if we would act together with Turkey, through diplomatic means, to make a positive impact on the current difficult situation in the Arab region,” Muetzenich stressed.
Rolf Muetzenich’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is currently holding talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc to build a coalition government.
Asked about the disagreements between SPD and Christian Democrats on Turkey’s EU process, Muetzenich underlined that this has not been the focus of preliminary coalition talks with the Christian Democrats. He also pointed out to the discussions and different opinion within the CDU on this topic.
- Merkel skeptical on Turkey’s EU process
Germany’s Christian Democrats had long been against a full EU membership perspective to Turkey but recently adopted a more moderate stance with the compromises made as part of the coalition agreements.
Eight years ago, during coalition negotiations with the SPD, Merkel led CDU/CSU alliance agreed to the continuation of Turkey’s EU accession talks in an “open-ended” way, without a pledge for full membership.
During the conservative-left coalition government led by Merkel between the years of 2005 and 2009, Turkey opened 11 chapters in the EU accession talks.
The following conservative-liberal coalition government has also offered a tacit support to Turkey’s EU process but without a pledge for full membership. Since 2009, Turkey could only open two more chapters.
During the past three years no new chapters could be opened, mainly due to the Cyprus problem and the blockage by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who opposed Turkey's EU membership.
In her visit to Ankara early this year, Chancellor Merkel reiterated her position. “Although I am skeptical I have agreed to continue the accession negotiations," she said. "They have become somewhat bogged down recently, and I would be in favor of opening a new chapter now in these negotiations so that we can move forward."
