Germany Supports Turkey's EU Membership Efforts

When Chancellor Gerhard Schröder visits Turkey beginning February 22, 2004, he will take the opportunity to recognize the progress in reforms the Turkish government has made and to affirm Turkey’s prospects for membership in the European Union. While some have put forward the idea of a privileged partnership for Turkey with the EU, the position of the German Government has been and remains in favor of full membership, as Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer also conveyed during his trip to Turkey in January.
 
The German Government welcomes and supports the important reforms that have been undertaken in Turkey toward fulfillment of the Copenhagen Criteria, Government Spokesman Béla Anda said on February 16 in reiterating Germany’s position on Turkey. These criteria were established by the European Council in 1993 as prerequisites for membership in the European Union. They are in particular, democracy, rule of law, human rights, protection of minorities, a functioning market economy, and the adoption of existing EU regulations, among other things, in management, law and other areas. At the European Council held in 2002 in Copenhagen, all EU member states welcomed the progress made by Turkey and encouraged Turkey to quickly address all remaining deficiencies in regard to the political criteria.
 
The European Commission on November 5, 2003, published a progress report on Turkey. The report lists Turkey’s progress and encourages Turkey to make further efforts in those areas where shortfalls still exist. The European Council, on the basis of a corresponding report by the commission, will make a final decision on the opening of negotiations in December of this year, according to the resolutions of the European Council in Copenhagen in December 2002. This is the position of the German Government, Anda said.
 

February 17, 2004

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