Turkey wants to join within seven years of the European Union. In 2023, the Turkish Republic is celebrating its centenary and that would be a wonderful opportunity to also celebrate EU membership, Turkey's Permanent Representative to the European Union said in the German newspaper Die Welt.
Since the failed coup the Turkish President Erdogan dare to compete with founding father Atatürk. How is Erdogan's "new Turkey" look like?
Relations between Ankara and Brussels have ever been better, accredited Permanent Representative Selim Yenel, but that may soon change. The EU has failed after the failed coup last July its full support to speak out for the Turkish government, but can still do wonders visiting government leaders to Ankara.
Turkey's accession according Yenel not only for Turkey, but also good for the EU. That would make it clear that the union is also open to non-Christian countries.
Turkey is already in the EU's waiting room since 1999. So far has started less than half of the so-called negotiation chapters. Some Member States allude lately on the closing down or even break off the dialogue.
'Undemocratic initiatives'
The Danish government party Venstre called last week for the closure of the negotiations with Turkey because of "undemocratic initiatives' . The Danes may include the flirtation that makes the Turkish President Erdogan to reintroduce the death penalty for the initiators of the coup to punish.
"The red line has exceeded what would be a minimum for an EU candidate member must be," said foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal Party, Michael Aastrup Jensen, told Reuters.
The Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Kern said earlier that the EU should stop the "diplomatic fiction with Turkey and" needs a new way. "
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said that Turkey, in its present state can not become a member, but rejected the ruling of Kern.
Turkey feels humiliated
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said this week in an interview with the German newspaper Bild that the European Union Turkey 'humiliating'. He calls on the EU once again to proceed with the lifting of the visa requirement under the controversial Turkish-European refugees agreement.
"The Turkish people are traumatized 'after the failed coup of July 15, and the Europeans' humiliate help us instead of Turkey," said Cavusoglu in the German tabloid. The minister regretted the freezing of negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU and of the discussions on the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens.
According to the Minister Ankara has "worked harder than many other countries to fulfill the conditions of accession to the EU, but Turkey gets in return 'only but threats, insults and a total blockade" of the EU Member States.
By Editorial Volkskrant: Photo: AP
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