Turks count on Germany to overcome French objections

Fischer sees European Union starting Turkish membership negotiations

ANKARA (Combined reports) - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday praised Germany as a staunch supporter of Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union and expressed confidence that Berlin would help in overcoming French objections to his country’s accession bid.

“Germany is among the countries who are the biggest supporters of Turkey,” Gul told reporters. “Naturally, this issue is being discussed between Germany and France as well, and Germany is helping Turkey.” The minister was speaking before flying to Berlin for meetings with German leaders and non-governmental organizations today and tomorrow.

Gul said that Ankara was watching with understanding the debate in France over whether the vast Muslim nation should be allowed into the EU, but warned: “Turkey should not be subjected to injustices. It is not possible for us to accept that.”

Gul’s trip to Germany is the first in a series of visits that Turkish leaders will make to European capitals to drum up support for their country in the runup to a crucial December 17 decision by EU leaders on whether to start accession talks with Turkey.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, said earlier this month that Turkey had fulfilled the required democracy norms and recommended the start of talks.

While Germany’s center-left government is united in its support for Turkey, the French leadership is split and public opinion is largely hostile.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the issue with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac in three-way talks in Berlin on October 26.

Gul said that in his meeting with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer he would also raise Turkish concerns over several points in the Commission report which Ankara considers discriminatory.

In an interview with Der Spiegel news magazine, the German foreign minister said yesterday that EU leaders will most likely decide in favor of starting membership negotiations with Turkey.

“The result is open... (but) in my view, by the way, at the end of the day the result will be ‘yes’,” Fischer said when asked if EU leaders could turn down Turkey’s membership bid.

Fischer also repeated earlier views that the decision on whether Turkey could join would not be made for 10 to 15 years. (AFP, Reuters)