WAIT FOR THE ELECTIONS, FM

Hurriyet
Feb 18 2009
Turkey

BERLIN – Germany’s Foreign Minister said if his party won the upcoming
elections, Germany’s stance toward Turkey’s European Union membership
would change.

Frank Walter Steinmeier, who delivered a speech at a lunch hosted in
Berlin by Turkish Community in Germany, or TGD, said he has always
supported Turkey’s accession to the EU, but added that there were
certain countries that were rather hesitant about it.

He said if his party, the Social Democratic Party, or SPD, won the
elections on Sept. 27, Germany’s stance toward Turkey’s membership
would change. He referred to the coalition agreement with the
Christlich Demokratische Union, or CDU, and said they had compromised
to put a provision in the agreement saying the accession negotiations
with Turkey would be open-ended because of the CDU’s insistence.

Steinmeier said his party supported Turkey’s full membership to the EU.

He said Turkey ought to be given a fair chance for membership, and
all obstacles in its way should be removed.

Steinmeier said Turkey’s expectations and hopes should not be affected
by EU member countries’ negative attitude. He said Turkey has pursued
a very active foreign policy and has played a mediating role in the
Middle East.

Steinmeier said he appreciated Turkey’s efforts to enhance both its
own relations with Armenia and the relations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia. He said Germany’s relations with Turkey would always be good.

He said unemployment rates and the number of people leaving schools
without a diploma were higher among Turks in Germany compared to
Germans, adding that an education system offering equal opportunities
to everyone was needed.

Steinmeier said not just Germans but also immigrants in Germany
should see themselves as important to society. It is not possible to
desire an open society while also closing the doors to immigrants,
said Steinmeier.