Qatar News Agency
January 8, 2010 Friday 6:07 AM EST

Berlin Offers Turkey Renewed Hope of EU Accession
Gulf Times editorial

Doha, January 08 (QNA) – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
appeared to keep the door ajar for Turkey’s accession to the European
Union yesterday when he visited Ankara as part of a two-day trip, the
English language newspaper daily /Gulf Times/ said.

Progress had stalled during 2009 as both France and Germany raised
concerns about whether a mainly Muslim country betwixt Europe and Asia
should become a member of the 27-nation bloc.

Those arguments were spurious, of course, but perhaps the real issue
to be discussed in Brussels is just how big the EU will become with
several other countries also knocking on the door, the Gulf Times said
in its editorial comment published here on Friday.

With the possible exception of the United Nations, the EU is already
the biggest bureaucracy in the world capable of exerting increasing
influence over sovereign nations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
her conservative Christian Union party sought a compromise whereby
Turkey would have been granted "privileged partnership" status.

Such an outcome would have created an impossible two-tier structure
that would attempt to bring Turkey into the fold like a country member
at a golf club.

So, it seems that commonsense is prevailing but there is a long way to
go. Germany has the largest ethnic Turkish population outside Turkey
of nearly three million and according to 2008 figures bilateral trade
volume reached nearly $36bn.

At a time when the country has performed well despite the global
financial crisis and prospects for growth are encouraging many EU
members would prefer to welcome a large vibrant economy over a
weakling like Iceland, which also has European aspirations.

Westerwelle, who is due to visit Qatar next week as part of a regional
visit, was asked at a press conference in Ankara if he actually spoke
for Berlin in his pledge to support Turkey. His answer was somewhat
unconventional but unequivocal. "I am not here as a tourist in shorts
? I am the German foreign minister and what I say counts."

It must be hoped that French President Nicolas Sarkozy softens his
stance as well while continuing to insist that Turkey moves forward
with reforms that were stipulated by the EU in 2004.

Turkey has failed to meet important EU criteria such as opening its
borders to member country Cyprus but the onus is also on Nicosia to
find a solution to the decades-long dispute.

Pope Benedict XVI yesterday called Turkey a "bridge between Islam and
the West" while meeting the new Turkish ambassador to the Vatican.
Indeed, the country has played a significant diplomatic role in Iraq,
Lebanon, Afghanistan and Pakistan and has made efforts to heal its
rifts with Armenia.

For its increasing influence alone, Turkey should be considered a
welcome addition to the monster that is now the European Union and the
pedestrian pace of accession talks should now accelerate. (QNA)

QS,MD