Turkey crackdown has no direct bearing on joining EU: Germany
(BERLIN) - Germany said Friday that Turkey's recent crackdown on protesters had no direct bearing on Ankara's negotiations to join the European Union.
"There is no direct link between the events in Turkey and the technical process of accession negotiations of the country to the EU," foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke told a regular government news conference.
The negotiations are currently focused on "the opening of the chapter concerning regional politics", said Peschke, adding that talks could "go on for some time".
Berlin appeared to have soften its stance on Turkey's crackdown on demonstrators who have taken to the streets of Istanbul and Ankara in two weeks of massive protests.
On Wednesday, a source close to the German government had said that there was now greater scepticism on moving forward with accession talks with Turkey.
"It appears that that would not be possible," the source had told AFP.
On Friday, Peschke said Berlin would "continue to follow the development of domestic politics" in Turkey.
He added that during an "extensive" telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had expressed hopes that the situation in Turkey would deescalate.
The protests were sparked by plans to redevelop an Istanbul park but ballooned into a wider show of hostility toward Turkey's Islamic-rooted government after it met the initial demonstrations with a harsh police response.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday that Turkey's response to protesters must be "engagement not antagonism".
She also urged the EU not to pull back from Turkey over the protest crackdown.
In February, Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is in favour of opening up a "new chapter" in EU membership talks with Turkey, adding that negotiations need to move forward even if she remains sceptical.
The EU opened accession talks with Turkey in 2005, but negotiations have been held up over German and French opposition to granting the country full membership, as well as Ankara's refusal to recognise the divided island of Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004.
Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkish troops invaded the northern third in response to a Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting the island with Greece. Only Turkey recognises the authorities in the northern sector.
Turkey crackdown has no bearing....
regardless of what the EU members see in this heavy handed attitude of erdogan he is hell bent on achieving his objective at any cost.
To understand what his objective is one has to understand the mentality of some of the under achieving Ottoman rulers during 1800 to 1900s.
These narrow minded under achievers saw religion as their way into the hearts of the population. The easiest way to become popular with the religious masses was to build another mosque even if it was only 300 meters from the last one in the same neighbourhood somewhat akin to the catholic countries of france, spain, and to some extent briton.
erdogan has made no screet since he came to power that he would like to build the largest mosque in the world somewhere in Istanbul while he is in power.
he sees that as his way to infamy and a place in the history. No doubt he would name it "the mosque of erdogan" or some idiotic name like that.
Istanbul has more than 500 mosques already. Do they all serve the purpuse of providing a quiet sanctuary to the peious five times a day? the answer is No. most of them are almost empty at all times.
So, is there a functional objective such as feeding the hungry or providing sanctuary to the homeless or unfortunate or any other humane existance in his quest?
Again the answer is a big NO.
yet he tries to find a way to achieve his objective one way or another.
Buldozing a park in the centre of Istanbul while maintaining that a shopping mall will be built in the middle of the park is an excuse to hide his objective until the park is flattened, trees are uprooted and dirt and dust remains in the square for a year until the objections and the unrest has died away and forgotten.
Then one day you will hear an on the spot dedication from him with a spade or an axe and a few meaningless prayers to the latest and the holiest!!! mosque in Istanbul!!!!.
Assholes with that mentality kept the Ottoman Empire from becoming the star of Europe for centuries.
Ataturk eliminated them at the beginning of the 20th century.
Does Turkey or the EU need another one to rise in the middle of the 21st century???
Absolutely NOT..