Turkey Can Join EU, Says Schroeder

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 03, 2003

Turkey Can Join EU, Says Schroeder

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed his conviction Tuesday that Turkey will become a member of the European Union in future.

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German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed his conviction Tuesday that Turkey will become a member of the European Union in future.

After meeting visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Schroeder said that he was impressed by the reform progress in Turkey since Erdogan took over office in March.

However, Schroeder avoided to mention a time frame for Turkey to join the EU, only saying that the EU will decide by the end of next year when to negotiate with Turkey on its membership.

Schroeder also criticized opposition parties for making "cheap campaign noise" over the issue of Turkey.

Their anti-Ankara remarks damages German-Turkish relations and the credibility of German policies, he added.

Wolfgang Bosbach, vice chairman of the parliamentary group of the Union parties, has told German media that the membership for Turkey will over-demand the EU economy and integration and is "a political suicide for EU."

At the joint press conference with Schroeder, Erdogan said thatit would be a tragedy if Turkey was shut out of the EU due to its Muslim majority and that those who set out on a "war of civilizations" should be proved wrong.

Erdogan, who arrived in Berlin on Monday for a three-day visit to Germany, also discussed with Schroeder situations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East.

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