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ERDOGAN SLAMS GERMANY FOR OPPOSING TURKEY'S EU FULL MEMBERSHIP BID
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 2, 2011 - 11:50 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
accused Germany in a newspaper interview of letting Turkey down
by not doing more to support its European Union membership bid and
failing to recognize Turks' efforts to integrate in German society,
Reuters reported.
The interview appeared in Wednesday's, November 2, edition of the
mass-circulation paper Bild, hours before Erdogan meets Chancellor
Angela Merkel in Berlin for a ceremony commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the labor pact which brought large numbers of Turkish
workers to Germany.
Ties between the two leaders are strained because of Merkel's deep
reservations about Turkey joining the EU, and Erdogan's speeches to
the Turkish community on previous trips to Germany, in which he urged
Turks not to forget their roots.
Asked what he considered German politicians' biggest failing over
integration, Erdogan said: "German politicians do not acknowledge
enough the integration of the three million Turks in Germany."
"Germany should do much more for Turkey's EU membership bid as this
would massively support integration. Because we Turks regard Germany
very positively, we feel very let down on this issue," he added.
Instead of full membership Merkel favors a "privileged partnership"
for Turkey, whose 74 million people are predominantly Muslim.
Describing Turks as open and loyal, Erdogan said Germany should
show much more solidarity with Turkey. He also criticized Germany's
opposition to dual citizenship and laws which oblige any Turks moving
to Germany to speak good German before arrival, saying this infringed
their human rights.
"If a young Turkish man loves a woman in Turkey and wants to marry
her, this is seen as a mistake, as Germany demands that she first
learn German. But what is the language of love?" he said.
"It cannot be that the love of young people is only allowed to exist
in German by decree."
PanARMENIAN.Net
November 2, 2011 - 11:50 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
accused Germany in a newspaper interview of letting Turkey down
by not doing more to support its European Union membership bid and
failing to recognize Turks' efforts to integrate in German society,
Reuters reported.
The interview appeared in Wednesday's, November 2, edition of the
mass-circulation paper Bild, hours before Erdogan meets Chancellor
Angela Merkel in Berlin for a ceremony commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the labor pact which brought large numbers of Turkish
workers to Germany.
Ties between the two leaders are strained because of Merkel's deep
reservations about Turkey joining the EU, and Erdogan's speeches to
the Turkish community on previous trips to Germany, in which he urged
Turks not to forget their roots.
Asked what he considered German politicians' biggest failing over
integration, Erdogan said: "German politicians do not acknowledge
enough the integration of the three million Turks in Germany."
"Germany should do much more for Turkey's EU membership bid as this
would massively support integration. Because we Turks regard Germany
very positively, we feel very let down on this issue," he added.
Instead of full membership Merkel favors a "privileged partnership"
for Turkey, whose 74 million people are predominantly Muslim.
Describing Turks as open and loyal, Erdogan said Germany should
show much more solidarity with Turkey. He also criticized Germany's
opposition to dual citizenship and laws which oblige any Turks moving
to Germany to speak good German before arrival, saying this infringed
their human rights.
"If a young Turkish man loves a woman in Turkey and wants to marry
her, this is seen as a mistake, as Germany demands that she first
learn German. But what is the language of love?" he said.
"It cannot be that the love of young people is only allowed to exist
in German by decree."