Turkish Foreign Minister Gül Meets Merkel

Turkey's Foreign minister Abdullah Gül has made a three-day visit to Germany in an attempt to explore common political ground with the new government of incoming chancellor Angela Merkel. Uwe Hessler reports

On Friday Turkey's Foreign minister Abdullah Gül met the designated new leader of Germany as well as incoming foreign minister Walter Steinmeier and his predecessor Joschka Fischer. After talks with Angela Merkel, Abdullah Gül was pleased to learn that Germany's conservatives had given up their fundamental resistance to full European Union membership of Turkey.

Angela Merkel has softened her resistance to Turkey's bid to become an EU member, as she's preparing to take over the reigns of the new German government.

Turkish-German relations "very special nature"

The Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gül left talks with Merkel on Friday morning knowing that the chancellor-designate was no longer fundamentally opposed to an entry of the Islamic country to the 25-nation bloc.

"The relations between our countries, Gül says, have always been of a very special nature. In this meeting both sides expressed the wish and the expectation that we are able to improve our ties in future.

I understand that the new government coalition in Germany is seeking to enhance Germany's role in global politics. With Turkey on its side Germany would have a better chance to achieve this goal."

Angela Merkel's conservatives and their liberal Social Democrat partners in the new grand coalition government have been able to reach a compromise formula on Turkey.

The so-called "privileged partnership"

According to the power-sharing deal, Ankara will have no guarantees about the outcome of accession talks with the EU which began October 3rd. Germany's two main parties committed to an open-ended process with the goal of full EU membership.

The so-called privileged partnership that Merkel previously demanded is no longer described as a goal.

Should the talks between Turkey and the EU fail, however, the new German government vows to continue close cooperation, according to Gernot Erler, incoming undersecretary in the foreign ministry.

"This must be seen as a safeguard in the event that accession talks with Turkey should founder in the end, he says. We call this a privileged relation in the coalition treaty, which means that we want make sure that existing close ties between Turkey and the EU will be maintained if accession negotiations should not come to a successful end."

The state of reforms in Turkey

But Gernot Erler insisted that the Turkish government must keep up the pace of domestic reforms, which in the eyes of foreign observers has slowed down in recent months.

"This concerns primarily individual human rights, he says, the strengthening of which is a key demand by the European Union. We are also unhappy with the present situation on the ground regarding a government ban of torture in Turkish society, as well as the Turkish legal system which is not yet up to European Union standards. So in these areas we expect a greater commitment by the current and future governments of Turkey."

Conservative misgivings about a possible EU membership

In spite of the positive signals for Turkey from the new German government, Angela Merkel's conservatives will keep a wary eye on the progress made by the Islamic country.

Many conservatives still harbour misgivings about a possible EU membership for Turkey arguing the Islamic country doesn't belong to the Christian dominated union.

They also fear that accession of the populous and economically backward country would further stretch European capacities that are already strained after the accession of 15 new members from Eastern Europe last year.

Uwe Hessler

Qantara.de

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