Erdogan opposes privileged partner status

25.03.2010 14:16

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Ankara will settle for nothing less than full membership in the
European Union – a stance putting himself on a collision course with
German Chancellor Merkel, who only supports a `privileged partnership’
for Turkey.

Germany’s objections that the sizeable mainly Muslim country is not
fit for membership are backed by another EU heavyweight, France, but
Ankara points out that it has already opened negotiations aimed at
becoming a proper member of the bloc.

`A privileged partnership is unknown to EU treaties,’ Erdogan told Die
Zeit. `For Turkey it would be a huge mistake to agree to that. And
most of the other EU countries don’t accept this suggestion either.’

The EU symbolically opened membership talks with Turkey in October
2005, but a number of stumbling blocks remain on Ankara’s road to EU
accession, in particular concerning trade links with Cyprus, freedom
of expression and the rights of the Kurdish minority.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress